Tony and Ziva: Fifty Things
by DemonClowSorceress
Summary: Third in the Fifty Things installments. Now it's time for Tony and Ziva to have the spotlight! K plus for whatever may appear. COMPLETE!
1. Prompts

**Tony and Ziva: Fifty Things**

**Since I got such excellent feedback from my other two Fifty Things, I shall now attempt to do the original _NCIS _favorite pairing justice. Fifty things about Tony and Ziva. Here we go!**

**Disclaimer: Please, if I owned NCIS, the Tiva would have begun ages ago.**

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><p>#1 - Banter<p>

Their back-and-forth sometimes seemed to lean more to the flirtatious side of the scale, but people knew well enough not to bother asking if they were sleeping together.

#2 - Pillow

"If you're sleeping over, that thing goes in the dresser drawer, not under your pillow," he said firmly, pointing to her gun.

#3 - Books

Contrary to popular belief, not everything he quoted came from the movies. People just knew movies better than the books they were based on.

#4 - Coincidence

Gibbs might believe that there's no such thing, but Tony can honestly say there's only one time he disagreed with Rule 39.

#5 - Ninja

It became her unofficial nickname with him, and the day someone else said was the last day anybody else ever did.

#6 - Whammy

"Holy Mother of God," he breathed when he walked into Abby's lab and got hit with a sight he'd never expected to see.

#7 - Baltimore

He was a little rattled after the case with his ex-partner's death. So when he stopped by her place after work, she let him tell her everything.

#8 - Desks

Gibbs sometimes wondered why he ever let them sit across from one another - and why his chair always faced them.

#9 - Carnival

When she told him she'd never been to one, Tony took it upon himself to take her to every stand and on every ride that night.

#10 - Playboy

He flirted with women for a lot of reasons - information, distraction, even for fun - but he tried not to flirt with her for fear of actually falling farther than before.

#11 - DVD

Ziva's eyes widened at the sight of his home entertainment center. "Tony, you have a serious addiction."

#12 - iPod

When her music blared loud enough to be heard across the bullpen, he had to find a way to get her to turn it down without losing a finger.

#13 - Father

They didn't have the best role models growing up, and they turned out just like those men. But maybe they had to, in order to meet each other.

#14 - Playtime

Tony had to drag her away from the office after the day they had. She needed to goof off.

#15 - Paperclip

She'd threatened him before, but he hadn't believed her - until now.

#16 - Dragon

Usually princesses wanted to be rescued by a gallant knight. But she'd be the one who took the sword from the knight and say, "Do not worry, I can handle this."

#17 - Silence

He'd followed Rule 4 faithfully, telling not a soul about his assignment with Jeanne. After a week of being ignored, he'd wished he'd told Ziva after all.

#18 - Chocolate

Even though she's not like other women, he still knew how to make her smile.

#19 - David

The name sounded infinitely more sexy when she had to correct the suspect who said it wrong.

#20 - Ringtone

After she figured out her Blackberry, the first thing she did was experiment with the different alerts for her contacts.

#21 - Notes

He started leaving sticky notes on her desk whenever she had a bad day.

#22 - Hair

He'd seen women with several different hairstyles, gelled and moussed and sprayed within inches of its follicles, but none of them looked so luxurious like hers did _au naturale_.

#23 - Probie

"I say it with love," he'd said, and for a moment, she thought he meant it.

#24 - Memory

She still couldn't believe, after all this time, that he remembered the first thing she'd ever said to him.

#25 - Kate

_They were really something else_, she thought with a smirk as she followed the agents for a special day.

#26 - Description

It hadn't been clear, but she always thought he'd been describing her during that case with the Hutton siblings.

#27 - Intrusion

Tony had long ago given up any semblence of privacy afforded by going to the bathroom.

#28 - Connection

They had something special, Gibbs thought. Something he had with Jenny, once upon a time.

#29 - Innocence

She didn't have much left because of her past, but he tried to keep whatever remained so that she didn't lose herself.

#30 - App

He should have never gotten her addicted to Angry Birds.

#31 - Angel

His boyish smile always made her heart flutter, especially when something he said sounded a little too real.

#32 - Devil

She had a sweet face and a smile that angels would fall for, but Tony knew that beneath that exterior slept a legion of demons that she barely kept contained.

#33 - Voice

The sound of her singing stopped him cold. Even outside a crowded room, he'd know her dulcet tones anywhere.

#34 - Mistakes

They'd both made choices over the years, however misguided, that had kept them apart for far too long.

#35 - Mirror

Whenever a case involves the team taking care of a kid, it's noticed that the kid sometimes turns out to be a miniature version of one of them.

#36 - Knife

Even without Rule 9, she carried a blade. When she got bored, she cleaned it in the office.

#37 - Flexibility

He'd always known she was a fit and acrobatic woman.

#38 - Skirt

Tony could barely concentrate the day she walked into the office wearing a black number that made her legs look amazing.

#39 - Paris

Tired of the vagueness, McGee decided to investigate the mystery that was their trip to the City of Lights.

#40 - Designer

His suits were always clean-cut and made him look very impressive. A fact Ziva deeply appreciated when she had to cross a crowded room of good-looking wealthy men and act like he was the only one rich enough for her.

#41 - Holiday

When he'd told her Nisiya Tova, for a brief moment, they'd both wished he was coming with her.

#42 - Bikini

Those three photos were the only thing that kept his life as Agent Afloat any type of sane.

#43 - Matchmaker

Abby giggled as she hacked into the elevator controls and triggered the stop function. "If they don't at least kiss in there, I'll owe you twenty bucks," she said to an aghast McGee.

#44 - Soulmates

She had asked, and he'd blown her off. But then he had to think about why she had asked in the first place.

#45 - AIM

He was mildly surprised when he saw the screen name pop up on his screen.

#46 - Gold

Shakespeare had probably meant it when he warned about all that glitters, but she didn't glitter - she shone. So it didn't count.

#47 - Translation

He'd studied long and hard, practiced endlessly, and had to muster a lot of courage before he had the guts (and the accent) to finally tell her, "Ani ohev otach."

#48 - Idioms

They were few and far between these days, but when she tripped up, he was always there to correct her with a smile.

#49 - Snow

D.C. during Snowmageddon was like being locked in an igloo. But at least they weren't alone.

#50 - Partners

For two people who used to shy away from commitment like children from brussel sprouts, they stayed together for far longer than anyone would have ever expected.

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><p><strong>So, what do you think? I tried not repeating any of the prompts from the previous ones.<strong>

**Do you like? Want some one-shots? Please review and let me know!**


	2. Banter

**Disclaimer: I don't own _NCIS_, or the Tiva would be sooooo totally CANON by now!**

**Prompt #1: Banter - Their back-and-forth sometimes seemed to lean more to the flirtatious side of the scale, but people knew well enough not to bother asking if they were sleeping together.**

**Words: 681**

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><p>If a new agent was to watch Agent Anthony DiNozzo and Agent Ziva David for a whole day, the agent would swear on a stack of Bibles that they were sleeping together.<p>

That agent would be dead wrong. And mocked up and down by the rest of the agents in the building.

Tony DiNozzo is a notorious flirt. Every woman in the Navy Yard knew it, and most all of them had been on the recieving end of his flirting. From the first day he'd smiled at the woman in Human Resources, Tony was a top-notch agent wrapped up in the skin of a sexy playboy. Like a wild puppy - he looks harmless and cute, but could ultimately rip you to shreds.

Ziva David is a notorious assassin. Everyone knows it, and they all have their ideas about her past career. She's a stunning woman that every man in the building secretly lusts after but knows to stay very far away. Like a black widow - beautiful, but she'll probably kill you.

So how can a playboy and an assassin be such tight partners without being "together"?

Two things. Rule 12, and casual flirting.

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><p>Being on Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs's team means that they subscribe to Gibbs's infamous Rules. Rule 12 is, quite simply, to never date a coworker.<p>

There is a reason this Rule is so strictly followed. Romances within a team can lead to severe problems, for the couple and the team itself. Partners who are involved with each other run the risk of comprimising an op or a case because of personal feelings. That risk doubles when one of the partners is in danger.

Tony and Ziva know how dangerous that situtation can be. They've had their fair share of bending Rule 12. So when it comes to each other, now, they keep their distance.

But Rule 12 isn't the only thing that keeps them apart. It's a big reason, but it's not the only one. In fact, it's not even the most important one.

They both aren't big on commitment.

Which leads us to the second reason they can be tight partners without being romantically involved.

Casual flirting.

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><p>Casual flirting is their standard way of communication. It's also the major reason why many people believe there is more to Tony and Ziva's partnership.<p>

He normally instigates the flirting. It's his thing, after all. When she responds, she divulges something about herself that is A) disturbingly different or B) playfully different. He has immense amounts of fun trying to figure out which it is. She doesn't give up much after throwing him a tidbit.

When she starts the flirt, it's always in a deep, layered voice she used to use while seducing her marks as an assassin. He gets an amused smirk on his face and makes some move closer to her, as if his presence would make her melt or something.

Interestingly, they have a certain set of rules while they play their little game. They have to, or else some very awkward moments would happen. So they keep away from their own childhoods, previous relationships are strictly off-limits, and whatever feelings they may have, romantic or heart-related in any way, are never, ever touched on.

So they keep with the flirting light, playful, and above all, casual.

They can't risk dredging up anything serious. Their jobs are high-risk, and that brings up a lot of intense emotions. If those emotions aren't regulated, it can make for some very incredible times, but ultimately the partnership would suffer. They both have had that happen several times.

So Tony and Ziva keep the flirting to just that - flirting. Like best friends, only slightly naughtier. Which is why some people misunderstand and think they're acutally making sheet music.

Which, of course, they're not.

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><p><strong>All right everybody, here we go! Review please!<strong>


	3. Pillow

**Disclaimer: I don't own _NCIS._**

**Prompt #2: Pillow - "If you're sleeping over, that thing goes in the dresser drawer, not under your pillow," he said firmly, pointing to her gun.**

**Words: 391**

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><p>Ziva placed her empty holster on the bedside table. Stretching out, she reached to move her gun from the table to its customary place under her pillow.<p>

"No frickin' way."

She looked over at Tony, eyes wide at his sharp voice. "I beg your pardon?"

"That gun is not going under your pillow, Zi," he explained. "I do not want to wake you up and risk getting shot in the face."

She scoffed. "I would not shoot you in the face, Tony." A thoughtful look appeared on her face. "Perhaps in your arm, but certainly not your face," she admitted.

"Thanks, that makes me feel so much better," he deadpanned, rolling his eyes. He held out his hand. "Give it to me."

Ziva clutched the weapon to her chest like a child. "No. Keep your claws off my gun."

"Paws, Ziva," he corrected wearily. "Don't sleep with it under the pillow. Or in your hand," he added as she tried to slip it under the covers.

"I do not see what the problem is, Tony," Ziva sighed, comprimising by leaving it on her bedside table. "It is not as if I am trigger-happy."

Tony sighed patiently. "No, but you do have a tendency to shoot first and ask questions later. Might as well be a Rule with you."

Now she rolled her eyes. "You are overexaggerating."

"If it saves me from a trip to the ER with a slug in my ass, damn straight," he said, climbing into bed beside her. "Now go to sleep, Zee-Vah."

She smirked as she burrowed in his blankets. "It is not polite to order a guest, you know."

"I invited you over here because your apartment is being fumigated. Again."

"You did not have to, Tony."

"Don't get any ideas, it's just until Abby gets room for you. Then you're her problem," Tony grumbled, already half-asleep.

Ziva scoffed again, then turned over to scold him. But he was already asleep. He looked very peaceful there, so she decided to let him sleep.

After all, he'd wake her up with his damn snoring if she didn't go to sleep soon.

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><p><strong>Short, but cute, no? Review please!<strong>


	4. Books

**Disclaimer: I don't own _NCIS._**

**Prompt #3: Books - Contrary to popular belief, not everything he quoted came from the movies. People just knew movies better than the books they were based on.**

**Words: 526**

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><p>Tony DiNozzo is a movie buff. No reason to sugar-coat it. No matter what case, no matter where, no matter who was in earshot, he'd find a cinematic reference somewhere in the mundane actions of their suspects, witnesses, or victims and voice it for the world (or more often, the bullpen) to hear.<p>

Ziva David, his partner of five years, rolled her eyes as he quoted from yet another of his stupid action movies during a case. Instead of taunting him, she decided to take the adult high ground and ignore him.

But then something he said caught her attention. It was just a passing remark, but the way he'd said it made Ziva wonder about him.

He'd said, "Had to admit, I wouldn't have imagined that actor in that role, but I guess there's more than one way to interpret the author's description."

It gave her pause. Dark eyes slanted over to look at her partner as an eyebrow lifted. _Author? As in, book author? _she thought.

Ziva didn't get to ask him about it until later. He was packing up when she asked, "Who would you have picked?"

If she was hoping to trip him up, she had another thing coming. He glanced over at her. "Say what?"

"You said earlier about not imagining an actor in the character of - "

His eyes widened. "Oh, that? Dunno, just not him." A sly grin touched his mouth. "That's an odd thing for you to bring up, Zee-Vah."

"It was an odd thing for you to say," she replied.

"I do read, Ziva," he said, smiling for real as he chuckled. "And yes, I read actual books. Not just men's magazines and swimsuit issues," he added at the knowing look on her face. "What? You didn't think I read actual, substantial books?"

"Do you really want me to answer that question, Tony?" But she said it in jest. "All right then. Honest answer. What are your favorite authors?"

He didn't even hesitate. "Ian Fleming, Alistar MacLean." She raised an eyebrow. "What? I read a lot of Bond as a kid. Not much else to do. And MacLean wrote good action."

"That explains so much." Ziva crossed her arms. "Well, if you read, Tony, then why don't you quote from the books? Why do you keep quote from those movies?"

Tony seemed to actually take the time to think about his answer. He faced her fully and said, "People usually have seen the movies or heard of them. It's not always a sure bet they've read the books." Then the joker's grin appeared on his face again. "Besides, movies are more fun to watch. Night, Ziva."

"Good night," she said, watching him leave. She wasn't sure if he had been on the leveler with her or if he'd been pulling her arm.

But if he had been telling the truth...

She shrugged. It had just been a throwaway question.

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><p><strong>Hmm, it's okay. Review please!<strong>


	5. Coincidence

**Disclaimer: I don't own _NCIS_. If I did, the Tiva would be canon, like, SEASON 4!**

**Prompt #4: Coincidence - Gibbs might believe that there's no such thing, but Tony can honestly say there's only one time he disagreed with Rule 39.**

**Words: 275**

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><p>According to Gibbs, Rule 39 clearly states "There is no such thing as coincidences."<p>

Tony believes it.

Coincidences don't exist. Everything happens for a reason. Fate, karma, kismet, whatever. But truly random events don't happen. They just don't.

Something else has to happen before that. Something has to trigger it.

Cause and effect.

Bank accounts that miraculously appear? Somebody set them up. Missing witnesses right after you talk to them? They either ran for it or got killed. Somebody's dead? Someone wanted something from them.

There are no coincidences. Those people who believe in them just don't see the threads that connect events together.

Rule 39 is a good example of how the world works. It's almost never wrong.

So when Ari infiltrated the morgue and held Kate and Ducky hostage, it's no coincidence that Gibbs became single-mindedly fixated on finding him.

When Ari killed Kate, it's no coincidence that Mossad sent his control officer to get him.

But was it coincidence that his control officer was his half-sister? Who was gorgeous? Who would eventually become Tony's partner?

Was it coincidence that Ziva David walked into the bullpen that day?

Tony DiNozzo has only disagreed with Rule 39 once. In fact, he's been questioning it for the last six years.

Ever since a stunning Israeli woman with a backpack, boots, cargo pants, and a scarf holding a mass of black curls caught him talking to a figment of his sexual fantasy imagination and asked if he was having phone sex.

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><p><strong>Squee! I love it!<strong>

**Review please!**


	6. Ninja

**Disclaimer: I don't own _NCIS._**

**Prompt #5: Ninja - It became her unofficial nickname with him, and the day someone else said was the last day anybody else ever did.**

**Words: 797**

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><p>Everyone knew that Tony DiNozzo liked calling Ziva David "his ninja." Nobody's quite sure how it started, but it was a good nickname. It aptly described the multitude of skills the former Mossad operative had at her disposal as well as her tendency to sneak up on people, namely her partner, unawares.<p>

What some didn't realize was that "ninja" was not a nickname that Ziva allowed just anybody to utter.

According to scuttlebutt, there's a reason for that.

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><p>There was a green agent (his name forgotten, we'll call him Agent Smith) who overheard the DiNozzo and David exchange, as many in NCIS started calling the banter between the partners. Smith heard Tony call Ziva "my ninja" and thought the term was cute.<p>

He mentioned it to a few of his coworkers, and one said, "Dude, if you value your life and your balls, don't say that."

"Say what? That she's cute?" asked Smith. "Cuz she is."

The other man shook his head. "No, don't call her a ninja."

"Why? DiNozzo calls her that."

"DiNozzo is her partner." His coworker said that in the tone of finality that most people use when they say _The earth is round _or _Nothing rhymes with orange_.

But Smith wasn't about to let that stop him. "He's not sleeping with her, is he?"

"You kidding me?" another coworker yelped. "They're part of Gibbs's team. That's a big no-no."

"So she's free," Smith said. And that's when he started making his move.

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><p>He moved cautiously. First, he staged the casual meeting in the break room. She seemed to like him, so they talked for a while. Smith didn't learn anything, but he wasn't expecting to. He was testing the waters.<p>

After a few weeks of testing, he decided to take a chance. Sounding extremely casual, Smith walked up to Ziva one Tuesday morning and said brightly, "Hey, what's up?" Ziva ignored him. Frowning, Smith repeated his question. When she didn't answer again, he said, "Hey, Ziva? What's happening, ninja?"

He never saw it coming.

One hand grabbed his wrist and twisted it around behind his back. A yelp of pain escaped his lips as he dropped to his knees. "Never," she growled in his ear like a bear, "call me that." She twisted tighter, making Smith squeak in pain again. "If you ever call me that again, I will rip off your arms and legs and drag your bleeding torso through the Potomac River."

"Ziva!" came a shout from across the room. Tony DiNozzo ran over and held up his hands in a pacifying manner. "What the hell, Zi? You don't just attack another NCIS agent without cause, unless he groped your butt. But nobody's dumb enough to do that."

"He called me ninja," Ziva replied as if that explained everything.

He nodded. "Okay, okay, well that was wrong of him. Doesn't mean you need to go kung-fu Mossad on him. Now calm down and let him go." Smith almost cried with happiness despite the humiliation. Tony walked up and laid a hand on his partner's elbow. "Zee-Vah, come on, leave the guy alone." He patted her shoulder. "That's right, let go of the agent. We kinda need him."

Ziva dropped Smith and raised her arms up in a "not touching, didn't do it" gesture. She quickly turned on her heel and walked away, leaving Tony and Smith to stare after her.

Tony blew a sigh through his lips. "You are sooo lucky I came along when I did," he said. "She was about to snap you in two, man."

Smith rotated his shoulder and tried to not wince with the movement. "All I did was call her ninja and she freaked - "

"Oh, bad move." Even though Tony was smiling, the sight of it made Smith shudder. "She really hates other people calling her that. Word of advice - you wanna live, don't make that mistake again."

Smith was still shivering when Tony left.

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><p>This unknown green agent moved on to another NCIS field office, but the story still circulates through the Navy Yard whenever another probie asks, "What's with DiNozzo calling David 'ninja'?"<p>

It is true that nobody else dares to find out what would happen if someone other than Tony DiNozzo called her 'ninja'. Ziva David is a fearsome woman.

Is it true? Maybe, maybe not. It is, after all, water cooler gossip.

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><p><strong>This was random, but I thought it was funny. Thoughts?<strong>

**Review too, please!**


	7. Whammy

**Disclaimer: I don't own _NCIS._**

**Prompt #6: Whammy - "Holy Mother of God," he breathed when he walked into Abby's lab and got hit with a sight he'd never expected to see.**

**Words: 823**

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><p>Anthony DiNozzo had seen his partner in a lot of different outfits during their years together. He'd seen her in a black string bikini (which he still had pictures of somewhere) dressed as a geek (also photographed somewhere) and in beautiful dresses that made her look like a vision. He'd seen her in desert-camo and office casual, rocking the business suit and chilling in tank top and sweats.<p>

But he never expected to see Ziva David looking quite like this.

In all respects, he should've seen the signs. Abby had been commanding a lot of the woman's time for the last few days, stealing her down to the lab with just a phone call. Gibbs had let her go without complaint or an order to return in a timely fashion. McGee had been grinning like a kid who found the lingerie section of a magazine all day. Even Ducky and the autopsy gemlin had been looking really excited lately.

Tony was a trained investigator, and he never noticed all his coworkers' reactions.

Which was why he was now standing in the doorway of Abby's lab, slack-jawed and speechless, his eyes bulging out of their sockets as they drank in the sight of his stunning partner in the last thing he ever expected her to be wearing.

"What?" Ziva snapped at him, unnerved by his staring. Her hands were planted on her hips and her shoulders were thrown back, thrusting her chest out. The posture wasn't helping Tony break his gaze away from her.

The fact that she was dressed in a very provocative outfit didn't help much either.

"What d'you think, Tony?" asked Abby with a grin. "She didn't know what to be, so I had to help her out. Like it?"

A short, breathless laugh broke free of his smiling mouth. "I, uh," he said eloquently, stepping closer. "Wow, Ziva, I uh, never knew pegged you for a fan."

She shrugged one bare shoulder. "It is different, I must admit," she said. Looking down at the outfit, she traced the metal studs of the skirt. "And very short. I do not think I have worn anything so short in my life."

"I got it made by a friend who cosplays for conventions," Abby said. "I just needed Ziva's measurements to make sure it fit right."

Abby's friend was perfect. The costume clung to Ziva at exactly the right places. Tony swallowed hard and tried to keep his voice calm and level. "Well, that's a great, um, costume there, Zee-Vah."

"Yes, it is a very good choice," she said. "After all, you have compared me to this Warrior Princess before." A playful smirk danced on her lips. "I did not understand why until I watched some episodes. Then I saw the costume and understood - you were merely fantasizing me in it."

It was an immature, insulting, and totally true statement. So Tony didn't bother denying it. "Yes. But you are just as kickess as Xena, and you don't even need the spinning Frisbee of Doom."

"Chakram," Ziva corrected. "And I do have one." She patted the steel replica hooked to her belt. "Are you sure this is the only one that will work?"

Serious again, Tony nodded. "We know the deal's going down during the convention, and we need to blend in. McGee can do it, but you'd stick out like a sore thumb. You need to fit in, Zi."

"So your only option was to dress me up as a character from an old fantasy adventure show?" Ziva asked dubiously.

Abby shrugged. "It was either that or Wonder Woman, but my friend's Wonder Woman costume wouldn't have fit you without a lot of work. We didn't have the time."

"Ziva, Warrior Ninja," Tony said with his own grin. "Sounds good, right? Besides, you get the awesome weapons. Wonder Woman just had a rope. You got the chakram and a sword."

She considered it. "Very true. And these boots are very easy to run in. I practiced."

_I'll bet you did, _Tony thought, imagining just how it had looked. "Well, let's get going."

Maybe he'd get lucky and the suspect would make a break for it. That skirt was damn short already. If she had to run...

A hard slap connected with the back of his head. "Ow!" he yelped. "Dammit, Ziva!"

"Stop thinking about my skirt, DiNozzo," she warned, "or I will beat you with my chakram."

"Whatever," he grumbled, following her out.

Halloween was coming up. Maybe he could convince her to wear it again.

"Tony!"

"All right, all right, I'm coming."

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><p><strong>Lolz, I loved this one. He would oogle over her, right?<strong>

**Review, if you please! It shows your love!**


	8. Baltimore

**Disclaimer: I don't own _NCIS._**

**Prompt #7: Baltimore - He was a little rattled after the case with his ex-partner's death. So when he stopped by her place after work, she let him tell her everything.**

**Words: 1,064**

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><p>She wasn't surprised to see him on her doorstep after the day they went through.<p>

Ziva opened the door wide and stepped aside, letting him enter. Tony walked through like a beaten man, plodding straight over to her couch and dropping on it with a heavy sigh. She went to the cupboard and pulled out a bottle of scotch and two tumblers.

"Ah, just what the doctor ordered," Tony quipped as she poured them each a measure.

"I doubt Ducky prescribed my company and hard liquor, Tony," she replied. Handing him a glass, she set her glass and the bottle down on the coffee table and watched him knock his back. "How are you holding up?"

"The case is over. When it's over, walk away," he replied.

Ziva exhaled through her nose. "Now I know you are not fine. You just paraphrased Rule 11."

A weary smile tugged at his face. "Can't hide much from you, huh Ziva?"

"That is what having a partner means," she replied. Then she realized what words she'd used. "I mean - "

"No, you're right. I should've known coming here meant you'd start reading me like a book." Tony leaned back and closed his eyes. "He used to do the same. Danny."

Ziva held her tongue. He'd come to her on his own. She was not going to drive him away by pestering him.

Tony poured himself another drink, but only sipped it this time. "Danny had this thing about the way I dressed. I used to dress like a slob, if you could believe it. Tube socks and sneakers, sweaters, jeans, you get the idea. Danny had the stylish designer clothes. Said I had looks, which is why I could get girls looking like I did, but that my looks wouldn't last forever. He said I should start dressing like he did - like my father did." His eyes clouded over, and he took another drink. "After I left Baltimore P.D., I did a complete wardrobe overhaul and did just that."

The Israeli woman tried to picture her partner in such clothes, but the image was too hilarious to imagine. She stifled all her laughter for another time; Tony didn't need her laughing, he needed her listening.

Tony shook his head, a pained smile on his face. "I just...I can't believe he's gone. I never got to - " His voice died on him, so he swallowed and tried again. "We never - If I'd just picked up when he called me, if I hadn't left my phone at EJ's, I could've - "

"You could have spoken to him," Ziva admitted. "But odds are, you would also be dead." Her dark eyes met his squarely. "We would not have found out about the cover-up, about Raimey's involvement...Your old boss would have killed you as well. Then we would assume that you had also been a victim of the Port to Port Killer."

Now her throat closed up, and she quickly looked away before the tears welled up. The image of Tony dead, wrapped in plastic, washed with antiseptic, and tied up was too much to bear. One fist went up to touch her mouth as she tried to keep it together.

From the way Tony's voice dropped low, he'd put the pieces together as well. "Oh God, Ziva...no, that wouldn't have happened. Me and Danny, we could've taken Raimey. No way would we - would I - get killed by that asshat."

"You do not know that, Tony!" she snapped. All her emotions were boiling over, and she couldn't keep back the overflow. "You do not know what would have happened! You could have been killed, and I would have - " Her anger closed up her throat again, and her hands curled into claws that halfway reached for his throat. "I would have - " she tried again, her fingers curling into fists. Forcing the words to be heard, she bit out, "I would have lost my partner."

Tony leaned forward and covered her fists with his hands, trying to catch her eyes with his own. When that failed, his gaze dropped to their hands. "Ziva...I would never want you to go through that," he said quietly, earnestly. "I - I've gone through it, believe me. First Danny when I left Baltimore PD, then Kate, then Cassidy, then Danny again...my God, Ziva, I couldn't...I wouldn't..." He looked up at her, tortured and frantic pleading in his eyes. "Please Ziva, you have to believe me."

She felt awful, right then and there. He'd come over for a friend, and she had made him feel even worse than he already did. She took a breath to calm down, then picked up her drink and drained it. Fixing him with a look, she laced her fingers with his. "Tony, I did not mean to upset you. I was - "

"I get it, Zi," Tony said. "You were worried about me. I'm sorry." Leaning back against the chair, he tried to let go of her hands.

But Ziva wasn't about to let him go anytime soon. Tony's eyes widened in surprise when he pulled his partner to the couch with him. She dropped next to him, then let her head rest on his shoulder. He rested his head atop hers, suddenly content and relaxed to be there.

"Those last few days in Baltimore were not a good time for you," Ziva said.

"These last couple days weren't a walk in the park either," Tony admitted. He yawned suddenly, cracking his jaw. "And I'm beat. I should get home."

Ziva was half-tempted to tell him to stay, but she knew he'd refuse. He still had his pride. So she walked him to her front door, gave him a fortifying hug and a whispered "Good night," before letting him leave.

He needed time to heal. Time to forgive himself for everything. And she'd give him all the time he needed to bring himself back to the Tony she knew.

He was still there. He just needed to recover.

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><p><strong>Some angsty friendship stuff here. Review please!<strong>


	9. Desks

**Disclaimer: I don't own _NCIS._**

**Prompt #8: Desks - Gibbs sometimes wondered why he ever let them sit across from one another - and why his chair always faced them.**

**Words: 669**

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><p>Leroy Jethro Gibbs headed one of the best teams in NCIS. They closed cases, and they closed them up tighter than a miser's wallet.<p>

But they were also one of the most dysfunctional teams in the whole agency.

And boy, did he know it.

One of the chief pains in his ass were the two most impressive agents he had. Tony DiNozzo and Ziva David. Partners. Coworkers.

Annoying.

Gibbs looked up from his reading and peered over the tops of his glasses, watching his Senior Field Agent and his Probationary Agent exchange heated verbal barbs like schoolchildren. He rolled his eyes. _Can't they ever grow up?_

With Kate it was different. Kate kept Tony in line, and their banter was like listening to siblings argue. He'd attempt a flirt, she'd shoot him down with a witty comeback, and he'd spend a couple seconds speechlessly trying to reply. They cared about each other, but on a purely familial level. Tony knew he had no shot with her, and Kate let him know every single day.

But Ziva and Tony were an entirely different radio program. There was frustration, and attraction, and a hell of a lot of sexual tension between them. They argued like kids on the playground - kids with crushes.

Ziva intimidated Tony. Gibbs could tell that from day one. From her huge knife to the way she could take down a roomful of guards, there was nothing weak or hesitant about this woman. She was completely different from Kate, a former Secret Service agent but undoubtedly a woman of limited fighting potential. Ziva was muscle and stealth and darkness, an assassin of the highest order, trained to be a great Mossad operative.

Tony annoyed Ziva. Gibbs could tell that right off the bat. From the constant jokes to the way he shamelessly flirted with every legal female adult in sight, there was nothing serious or professional about this man. He was completely different from the other operatives Ziva was used to working with, men who maintained a level of professionalism even when they were cutting down enemies. Tony was movie references and flippancy and comedy, a playboy of the greatest level, trained to be a great NCIS investigator.

Oil and water, fire and ice. Opposites, and through a sick twist of Fate's pigtails, seated across ten feet of office space and drab blue carpeting.

Gibbs had always attributed his immense reservoir of patience to those two. He also blamed them for the strength of his head-slap. Well, mostly DiNozzo, but he'd been known to deck his Ziver one or two. Their bickering was only compounded when they were left alone; he stepped away for one minute, then he would return and they'd be arguing about something completely different and with a vaguely sexual overtone.

Time and time again Gibbs wondered why he didn't just change the seating arrangements. Stick Ziva in McGee's desk or put McGee where Tony sat (no way was he moving from his own desk - perks of being the boss). Seperate them as far as dimensionally possible in their tiny bullpen.

But Tony also was intrigued by his partner. Ziva was likewise intrigued by Tony. Attraction fairly sizzled between them, and it wasn't only the physical kind. Something deeper was touched, something that had turned two otherwise incompatible persons into one of the best teams Gibbs had seen. Seperating them wouldn't help, it would hinder. Vance's mole hunt had seen to that. So for now, they stayed in their seats.

Despite all his gripings, Gibbs knew he'd never move them. Tony and Ziva needed face-to-face confrontation. It kept them on their toes.

If only they didn't fight like children with crushes.

Well, it could always be worse, he reasoned.

They could be _married_.

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><p><strong>Gibbs thoughts. Let me know what you think.<strong>


	10. Carnival

**Disclaimer: I don't own _NCIS _or any characters. Damn.**

**Prompt #9: Carnival - When she told him she'd never been to one, Tony took it upon himself to take her to every stand and on every ride that night.**

**Words: 852**

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><p>"Gibbs, Gibbs, Gibbs!" Abby shouted, jumping in place as she beamed at the leader of the NCIS MCR team. "Gibbs!"<p>

"What is it, Abbs?" he replied, giving her a fond if exasperated look. "Find something?"

She nodded vigorously. "Yup! The trace results on the victim's clothes came back as butter topping, powdered sugar, salt, and hay dust. You know what that means!"

Gibbs waited for the answer, but Tony beat her to it. "It's a carnival, Boss," he said with a huge smile. "The vic was at a carnival before he died."

"Perfect place for a meet," McGee remarked. "Lots of people, bright lights, loud rides - you could blend in easily."

"Especially if you're looking to trade blood diamonds for dirty cash." Tony was almost vibrating with excitement. "We should check it out, Boss."

"DiNozzo, David, head out," Gibbs said, taking his gun out of his desk drawer. "McGee, tell Fornell we're heading in."

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><p>"I love the carnival," Tony sighed as they got out of the car. He took a deep breath and smiled. "Popcorn, cotton candy, sawdust, corn dogs - "<p>

"I do not understand how they manage to put the corn inside the dog," remarked Ziva. As always, her eyes were scanning the crowds for threats.

Tony shook his head. "They don't, Zee-Vah. It's the outer layer of goodness." She was still too tense, he saw, and he put an arm around her waist.

"DiNozzo!" Her teeth were gritted. "Remove your arm from my waist before I rip it off and beat you with it."

"Relax, Ziva," he muttered in her ear. "We have to blend in." Leading her in was hard to do, but Ziva let him.

In five minutes, Tony was treated to the rare sight of a completely astonished Ziva David. Her mouth was slightly open, jaw slack, her brown eyes wide as she took in the sights and sounds of the carnival around them. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you've never been to a carnival before," he remarked.

"I have not," Ziva replied, not tearing her eyes away from the sights.

Tony's eyes widened in surprise. "Blasphemy!" he announced. "How can you be an American citizen and never been to a carnival before? Woman, I need to school you quick."

"Tony, we are in the middle of an investigation!" she snapped. "Now is not the time for your juvenile antics!"

His lips quirked into a grimace. "Fine. But after we get this guy, we're coming back."

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><p>True to his word, he pulled Ziva back to the carnival after their paperwork was done. By now the place was really going, the lights brighter in the darkness and the smells sharper. Children and parents were milling around, and screams came from all the high-speed rides around them. Tony felt like he'd died and gone to carnie heaven.<p>

Ziva looked like she was possessed. All the sounds were making her head twitch in every direction as she tried to pin down what was a threat and what was simple fun. Tense as a wire, she couldn't relax enough to enjoy the carnival. So Tony, heaving a sigh, took her hand in his and said in her ear, "Relax already, Ziva. Nobody's going to attack us."

"It is very noisy," she shouted over fresh screams from the people on the pendulum ride they were passing.

"That's because it's a fun carnival. If there's no noise at a carnival, that's when you can be worried." Tony squeezed her hand reassuringly. "Now come on. Let's have some fun."

And true to his word, they had fun. He took her on the spinners, the loopers, and the pendulum rides. They rode the bumper cars, the carousel, and the swings. Tony bought her cotton candy and hot dogs and funnel cakes and enough soda to drown a small puppy. They played the stalls, tried to out-shoot each other at the rifle stall, and walked away with a small fortune in trinkets.

Ziva hugged the huge stuffed puppy that Tony had won her at the bottle toss. "This has been...an enjoyable time, Tony," she said as he walked her to the door of her apartment. "Thank you."

He grinned at his partner. "No problem. Even a ninja like you needs quality downtime."

She nodded. "That is true. Perhaps we can do it again sometimes." Smiling fully, Ziva reached up on her toes and put a small kiss on Tony's cheek. "Good night, Tony."

"Night, Ziva." He waited until she was inside before heading back to his car, still grinning like a goof as he replayed the kiss in his mind.

_That was totally a date...right? Maybe? Well, just to be safe, I don't call it that around her_...

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><p><strong>I, as the author, catagorize that as a date. Personally.<strong>

**Review please! Let's try and pass 75 reviews!**


	11. Playboy

**Disclaimer: I don't own _NCIS._**

**Prompt #10: Playboy - He flirted with women for a lot of reasons - information, distraction, even for fun - but he tried not to flirt with her for fear of actually falling farther than before.**

**Words: 1,184**

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><p>Tony DiNozzo is a bona fide flirt. Everyone knows it, nobody questions it. And he's very good at it.<p>

He first realized the power of flirting when he was eight years old and found out he could charm the female hotel staff into giving him free food when his father left him to "do business" for hours. When he turned fifteen and started noticing girls, his skills grew more polished. In college, with his jock position and his steller good looks, he practically had the girls eating out of his hands.

Even when he became a cop, he didn't stop flirting. It was more of an investigative tool than a passing fancy. His charm made widows more forthcoming, female witnesses more interested in helping the investigation, and even managed to get some female contacts out on the street. Call girls knew his name not because he was a client, but because he talked to them like real women and not like hookers.

When he started out at NCIS, he kept on flirting. Navy girls were different from other girls, he soon found out. Tougher. They had careers to think about, and therefore were more guarded about who they dated and subsequently slept with. It was an interesting challenge, one that he went at with every tool in his arsenal. Pretty soon he had the Navy girls whispering about Anthony DiNozzo of NCIS, and in very good ways.

When Kate walked into his life (or, to be more precise, they walked onto Air Force One and hijacked the crime scene with her still on board) he found yet another challenge. The former Secret Service agent was a tough, strict, Catholic, no-nonsense woman who immediately shut him down every single time he tried to make a play. He used and abused his flirting muscle, but she only replied with more flirting and sisterly teasing. Tony soon learned that he wouldn't get anywhere with Kate, so he settled for just flirting with her, just to stay in practice. She was his only constant challenge, his partner and best friend, and the only girl he never managed to charm past first base.

Then Ari showed up, ripping their lives apart, and stealing Caitlin Todd's life away with a shot from a weapon that shared her nickname. It had broken the team, made them all miss her in their own odd was, but nobody felt the loss more than Gibbs, who brought her into the fold, and Tony, who had been her best friend. Also Abby, but Abby was an emotionally attached person anyway.

Days afterwards, a very intriguing woman walked in on him having a sexual fantasy of his ex-partner. A woman who immediately attracted him with her no-nonsense attitude, her calm but cool demeanor, and an exotic accent that said her name with a sort of melodic slur that set his heart pounding. Which quickly turned to intimidation when she said began showing him a very, very different type of woman that he was used to dealing with on a daily basis.

She was Mossad, then NCIS. She was an assassin, then a liaison officer, then a probationary agent. But she was always his partner. Which meant she was always around him.

The initial attraction didn't fade away. In fact, it only grew stronger. Stronger than Tony was accustomed to feeling for a woman he wasn't even trying to flirt with. And if that was without flirting, what would happen if he actually tried?

It scared him.

So he didn't outright _try _to flirt with Ziva. Not that it didn't work. For some reason, he couldn't completely _not _flirt with her. Habits are hard to break.

Worst part was, she'd flirt back. And unlike with Kate, there was always a slight jab in his heart whenever Ziva fired back a comment with a vaguely sexual tone. Especially in the beginning, when she was tripping over English idioms and couldn't grasp his nature of sarcasm when he teased her about getting phone numbers from guys they met on cases. Her innocence and bluntness just drew him in even more, making it so much easier to flirt and tease.

And fall.

God, how he fell. He fell hard. He knew it. But when he met Jeanne, he fell again. But it was different. It wasn't...challenging, anymore. She fell for his flirting, no problem. It was actually an insult to his ability, how easily he became her "boyfriend" while under cover.

When she smiled at a witty comment, Tony would think of how Ziva would've snorted.

When she laughed at his observations, Tony would think of how Ziva would've rolled her eyes and commented on how juvenile he was acting.

The first time she kissed him, Tony could only think that Ziva would've never made it easy for him.

Unlike his "girlfriend", his partner was a challenge. Ziva never let him off the hook. She never took his word that he was all right. She never gave him an inch he didn't earn. And she never, ever, made his life normal.

And even though he fell for Jeanne, he couldn't help but be relieved when she broke it off between them once the truth came out. If he had to be honest with himself, it was because he couldn't love her as much as she wanted him to. He couldn't.

He'd already fallen for Ziva.

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><p>"Tony? Tony!"<p>

He was jolted out of his thoughts by the sound of a familiar Israeli accent. "What's up, my ninja?" he asked, the endearing nickname rolling off his tongue without a second thought.

She perched on her desk, facing him and crossing her arms. "I said, are you hungry? We have time before Abby's tests are complete. We could snatch a bite."

He chuckled. "Grab a bite, Ziva. What are you thinking of for food?"

"Pasta?"

"Oh, you just said the magic word," Tony sighed, getting up. "You gonna cook for me, my little wifey Zee-Vah?"

Screeching brakes went off in his head the same time an alarm rang out in his heart. _Bad, bad, BAD DiNozzo! _He slipped up again. He flirted. Hard-core there.

She shrugged. "I believe we have enough time," she said casually, making him relax. "Maybe I can even make the sauce homemade."

His eyes rolled up into his head with bliss as he gathered up his stuff. "Marry me. Seriously. Right now."

"Shut up, DiNozzo," Ziva said, not knowing that he was telling himself the exact same thing.

But he'd already fallen so hard for Ziva. Might as well fall all the way.

Who knows?

Maybe she'd catch him on the way down.

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><p><strong>Wow, I love this one. One of my best introspects, I think.<strong>

**How about you? Review and lemme know!**


	12. DVD

**Disclaimer: I don't own _NCIS._**

**Prompt #11: DVD - Ziva's eyes widened at the sight of his home entertainment center. "Tony, you have a serious addiction."**

**Words: 528**

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><p>"Holy..."<p>

Ziva David had seen some very impressive things in her twenty-nine years. Serving in the Israeli army, then Mossad, and NCIS, she's seen a lot. Murder, corruption, sordid affairs, the filth of the world. She's been all over the world, spoke several different languages, and could kill a man with a variety of common household items and office supplies.

But she had never, ever, seen anything like this before.

"Tony, I think you may have a problem," she announced, her eyes popping out of their sockets at the sight of his home entertainment system. "Your television is poised atop many other pieces of equipment that seem to be taking up valuable space. I believe it will topple over."

Tony chuckled. "No Ziva, they're supposed to be there. That's my cable box, DVD player, DVR, Blu-Ray player, VCR, and the surround-sound speakers." He pointed to each piece of machinery as it was identified.

"Do you require a switchboard to control all this?" Ziva asked, only half-joking.

"No. Universal remote works just as well." He picked up the controller and showed her. "See? Simple, easy to remember."

Ziva shook her head. "This is what you remember, Tony? How to properly switch on your TV array on?"

"I'm a guy, Zee-Vah. We remember how to turn on our TVs, what sports are on, and what teams are playing." He shrugged. "That's just how we are."

She would have left it at that. But unfortunately, she wandered over to the cupboard next to his system.

"Tony." He knew from her tone that she'd found something to talk about. "You have more DVDs than one man should."

"I like movies, Zi. I figured that was a given."

"But this many?" Ziva questioned, gesturing to the seven shelves' worth of slim plastic cases. "And these are only your DVDs. Where are the others?"

The male federal agent shifted guiltily. "What makes you think there are any more?"

"You have a VCR and a Blu-Ray player," replied the former assassin. "That means there are tapes and Blu-Ray disks here somewhere."

Tony let his charm smile through. "Okay, ya got me."

Ziva shook her head. "How on earth am I supposed to live here? There's barely enough room for _your _stuff."

"I'll just move stuff around, box up the ones I don't need, and deal." He tussled his partner's silky black hair. "Admit it, Zee-Vah. You're excited about this."

She rolled her eyes. "You are delusional. I am...intrigued, and apprehensive, about how this will play out." A devious grin touched her lips. "Besides, this will give me ample time to learn what I can hold hostage."

"Hostage?" Tony repeated, unsure of what she meant.

Her grin grew wider, and her eyes slanted over to take in his massive video collection. Guessing her intentions, Tony took a hesitant step forward.

"Ziva David, step away from the DVDs right now..."

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><p><strong>Fluffy, yet comedic. Yes? Review please!<strong>


	13. iPod

**Disclaimer: I don't own _NCIS._**

**Prompt #12: iPod - When her music blared loud enough to be heard across the bullpen, he had to find a way to get her to turn it down without losing a finger.**

**Words: 472**

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><p>He heard her arrival just before the elevator doors dinged open. The sound of her thumping foreign tunes was unmistakable.<p>

Tony saw that the music came from the tiny little earbuds wedged in her ears. _Bad night, _he figured. Ziva only blared her music like that when she wanted to ignore the world for a long time.

"Hey, Ziva?" he called out, leaning forward. She didn't notice as she walked to her desk, head still bobbing to the music. "Ziva? Zee-vaaah. Ziva!"

Still no response. Tony pressed his lips into a thin line as he formulated his next plan of attack.

If he had to guess, Ziva had not had her coffee yet. This meant the Israeli woman was not running on all cylinders, which made her actions and reactions more instinctive. Which meant any sudden or careless moves could have dire consequences to whomever crossed her.

Tony very much liked having the possibility of producing little DiNozzos one day. So he took his time in planning his next move.

Rolling up a piece of scrap paper into a little ball, he picked up a rubber band and strung it over his index finger and thumb. Stretching it out, he fitted the paper ball and took careful aim. With a little _twang!_ he sent his missile flying across the bullpen.

Ziva jumped when it hit her forehead. Dark eyes glared daggers at Tony. He pointed to his own ear, which prompted her to remove her earbud. "What?" she snarled angrily.

"Your music's louder than my thoughts, Ziva," he informed her.

"It is not that loud."

Tony stuck out his hand and gave a "give me" gesture. Taking out her earbuds, she tossed her iPod over to him. He put it down and turned it back on, letting the music pump out without altering the volume.

Ziva's eyes widened slightly. "That is how loud it was?"

"Yup," Tony replied. "You could hear it in the elevator shaft couple seconds _before _the doors opened. From here."

She bit her lip guiltily. "You have made your point. I am sorry, Tony."

He shrugged, tossing her iPod back to her. "Hey, bad night, right? I get it. Just remember that other people have to work."

Ziva scoffed. "You never work even without distractions, Tony. Stop making excuses."

He gave his easy charm grin. "If you behave, Zee-Vah, I could be persuaded to buy you a cup of coffee."

"If I behave?" she repeated, smirking at him. "And if I do not?"

Tony gave a careless shrug. "Maybe I'd still get you coffee."

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><p><strong>Just a drabble that popped into my head. Anyone else listen to their music too loud? I know I do!<strong>

**Review!**


	14. Father

**Disclaimer: I don't own _NCIS._**

**Prompt #13: Father - They didn't have the best role models growing up, and they turned out just like those men. But maybe they had to, in order to meet each other.**

**Words: 457**

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><p>His father was a womanizing bastard.<p>

Her father was a cold-hearted bastard.

Frankly, not the best male role models to have. For multiple reasons, actually.

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><p>Growing up was difficult for them for a variety of reasons.<p>

His father practically neglected him after his mother died. Many wives, many girlfriends, divorces and marriages and more divorces and more marriages. A vicious circle really. And there was Tony, growing up smack in the middle of it.

Her father could never be a father; he was too busy being the Director of Mossad. Instead of family time and cherished memories, there was training and missions and lost friends and family. And there was Ziva, fighting through it all to survive.

Childhood was difficult, being the children of such fathers. Father who were sometimes anything but. Business always superceded their paternal instincts, whether it be the business of making money or the business of death.

But maybe it had to be in order for Tony and Ziva to meet.

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><p>Think about it.<p>

If Tony's father hadn't been a ladies' man, he probably wouldn't have learned all he did about women. If his mother hadn't died, Tony wouldn't have only had one role model. He wouldn't have become a cop. He wouldn't have been cut off from his inheritence. He would've never been in NCIS. He'd have never met Gibbs, joked with Abby, heard Ducky's trivia, made fun of Palmer, or even flirted his way through half the Navy Yard.

He would've never met Ziva.

Then there's the flip side of the coin.

If Ziva's father hadn't been director of Mossad, she wouldn't have been in such an environment growing up. Her sister Tali might have not been killed. She probably wouldn't have joined Mossad. She wouldn't have had to go after Ari when he went rogue. She would've never had to go to D.C. and put a bullet in his head to save Gibbs.

She would've never met Tony.

Weird thought, huh?

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><p>It's odd, once you think of it.<p>

I mean, I could've never met either of them. The team could have been really different if they hadn't come along.

If they weren't here, I wouldn't have had any inspiration for _Deep Six. _Tommy and Lisa might've never been born.

It's really odd. Even though their fathers weren't always there for them, I guess it had to be that way.

That's how they came to be partners, I guess.

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><p><strong>Wow, this turned into a McGee POV! Didn't see that coming!<strong>

**Double update for you guys! Please review!**


	15. Playtime

**Disclaimer: I don't own _NCIS._**

**Prompt #14: Playtime - Tony had to drag her away from the office after the day they had. She needed to goof off.**

**Words: 606**

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><p>It had been one of <em>those <em>cases.

The team was drained, completely exhausted from the grueling triple murder that they had been working hard to solve for the last three days. Numerous suspects, dozens of motives, leads that dead-ended then resurfaced, two shooting incidents, and one very, very close call for McGee and Tony with an overheating boiler room. Gibbs was already gone, home to his boat and bourbon. Abby had insisted that she take McGee home, stating that he was not to leave her sight.

And Ziva...was watching him like a hawk, her dark eyes focused on Tony as he finished up his report. She was tense, and anxious, and not a little worried. Hell, she'd been worried about him since he and McGoo had been brought out of the sauna slash boiling deathtrap of a boiler room earlier that day, basically boiled alive. His partner needed to decompress.

So he logged off his system, switched off his desk light, and walked over to her. "C'mon Ziva, let's go home."

"I will drive," she immediately said, grabbing her keys.

"I said home, not the morgue," Tony replied with a grin. "Let's go. You need to unwind."

"Tony, I want to go home and sleep, and after I drop you off, that is exactly what I intend to do."

"Not a chance," said Tony. "We're going to go out and have some fun."

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><p>"Tony," Ziva sighed, "this is an arcade."<p>

He grinned. "Very astute, Agent David. This is, indeed, an arcade. And that," he indicated, "is a token machine, where you can trade in moo-lah for little golden tokens of fun." He handed her a five. "Stick it in the slot and let's have some fun."

Ziva took the bill and exchanged it for tokens, which Tony dropped into a convenient plastic cup. He steered her to the pinball machines and deposited two coin in it. "Okay, this is an easy one. Just push the buttons when the ball is about to hit a flipper."

"I know how to play needleball, Tony," Ziva said crossly as she took her stance.

"Pinball, Zee-Vah."

Despite her insistance, and despite her excellent hand-eye coordination, Ziva had a remarkably hard time keeping the ball in play for longer than a minute at a time. The tokens rapidly disappeared as she tried to beat the high score. Adversely, her colorful language only increased as she continued to lose.

Finally Tony decided to take pity on her. "Ziva, let's try something different."

"No," she said shortly, her eyes still glued to the flashing lights. "I want to beat this." She fed the machine another set of tokens and launched the ball.

"I thought you wanted to go home," he reminded her gently.

"After this game. Now would you please let me beat this in peace!" Her point was driven home when she jammed the flipper button down, sending the pinball shooting back up into the bonus points.

The senior agent only grinned and backed away, letting Ziva fight her battle. He knew her tenacity, and he figured that she'd been at that game all night or until she ran out of tokens. But one thing was for certain - she wouldn't be brooding about the case.

Tony fed another bill into the token machine. He had time to kill. Why not enjoy himself at the arcade?

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><p><strong>Cute fluffy drabble. Sorry it took so long to update. Review please!<strong>


	16. Paperclip

**Disclaimer: I don't own _NCIS._**

**Prompt #15: Paperclip - She'd threatened him before, but he hadn't believed her - until now.**

**Words: 749**

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><p>She had mentioned it once before, in passing, very early in their partnership. When he'd been fresh one too many times, Ziva had gotten right in his face and said she could kill him eighteen - yes, eighteen - different ways with a paperclip.<p>

Tony had brushed it off. Because seriously, who kills people with a paperclip? You can pick a lock with a paperclip. You can't kill with it. Right?

The comment had gone forgotten for a good many years - until now.

* * *

><p>"We need to stop pissing off arms dealers," Tony grumbled, tugging at his handcuffed wrists in a vain attempt to break free. "I'm getting tired of wearing my own bracelets."<p>

Ziva didn't reply. Instead she focused on bending the paperclip she had hidden in her pocket into a useable shape. "If you did not crack so many jokes, Tony, maybe they might have not knocked us unconscious," she snapped.

"I was trying to distract them while you did a sneaky ninja lift," Tony replied. "It worked, didn't it?" She grumbled under her breath and continued messing with the paperclip. "Hey, how long is this gonna take?"

"Do _not_ make me stab you with this paperclip," threatened Ziva.

He scoffed. "Oh please."

"Do you doubt me, Tony?" The way she said it spoke levels of danger. Tony wisely kept his mouth shut. They were already in a high-stress situation; the last thing he needed was the angry ex-Mossad ninja woman angry at _him_. They had enough problems as it was.

In another minute she had their cuffs picked. Tony rubbed his sore wrists where the metal had chafted as Ziva scoured the room for more useable weapon-type objects. Unfortunately, she couldn't find any.

Two NCIS agents with one paperclip against a personal security force. It didn't look good. A fact that Tony didn't hesitate to point out.

Ziva's grin was reckless and teasing. "All right then, Tony. Stay behind me, and I'll protect you."

"Har har, Zee-Vah." Nevertheless, he waited while she picked the door's lock and crept along the hallway behind her. He knew a sound plan when he heard one. She could make anything a weapon; he was restricted to fists and whatever he could pick up.

Voices told them someone was approaching. Ziva gripped her little bent bit of metal and raised it up to her face, eyes unfocused as she concentrated on the approaching footsteps. Tony pressed himself against the wall and got ready to move. If he knew his partner, she would move in a microsecond once she found a target.

A man stepped around the corner - and another one came with him. The shock of two made Ziva hesitate for the briefest moment. But in that moment, they saw her and Tony, and the first guy had his gun clear in a matter of milliseconds.

"Ziva!" Tony shouted.

The paperclip flashed with light as she struck. The man went down with a strangled scream, and Tony quickly tackled the other guy who was reaching for his gun. One fist-smash from the agent, and the man was down for the count. Tony took his weapon and stuck it in the waistband of his pants. "You okay, Ziva?"

"Affirmative," she replied, wiping her hands on her pants. Dark streaks soaked into her jeans.

Tony took a look at the guy she took down and winced. "Ugh. What way was that, can I ask?"

Her smile was cold when she realized what he meant. "Unlucky number thirteen."

"And what warranted his demise by Paperclip Use As A Weapon Number Thirteen?"

Ziva reached up towards his forehead, but stopped when she saw the blood still on her hands. "He was the one who struck you on the head when we were taken," she said shortly, dropping her hand to her side.

_Damn _if that didn't make him feel warm and fuzzy inside. "Here," he said, tossing her the cell phone from Unconscious Goon. "Call Gibbs and let's get the hell out of here."

So now he knew _one _of the eighteen ways Ziva David could kill an individual with a paperclip.

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><p><strong>Sorry for the long-time wait. But wow, we hit 100 reviews! Keep them coming, please!<strong>


	17. Dragon

**Disclaimer: I don't own _NCIS._**

**Prompt #16: Dragon - Usually princesses wanted to be rescued by a gallant knight. But she'd be the one who took the sword from the knight and say, "Do not worry, I can handle this."**

**Words: 352**

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><p>Ziva David was independent. No doubt about it. Tony had been her partner for years and he'd known that from day one.<p>

She took care of herself, looked out for herself, and was perfectly capable of saving herself. Which she proved on more than one occasion. Very rarely did she show her fragile side.

His Ziva didn't like to be fragile. Long years as an assassin for Mossad probably drilled the lone-wolf mentality home. Weakness, hesitation, fragility - in short, human emotions - got a person killed. Or worse, they could blow a mission.

If he had to describe her in cliched terms, Tony would have to use the age-old Princess/Dragon scenario. Yes, overused, but in this case, true. Emotional Princess Ziva stayed locked in her castle, guarded from the hurt of the world by her scary-ass alter ego, Ice Dragon Ziva. He'd crossed swords with that dragon many a time, and each time he came away with another way to get past it long enough to see her true self.

Or at least, that's how he used to think it worked.

Then he began to realize that she herself doubled up as the dragon. Two sides of the same coin. Princess and dragon. She didn't need to be rescued; she could save herself at any time. She just chose to let the beast protect her. She chose to hide herself away.

In the beginning of their partnership, she didn't show much about her emotional state. But as she hung with Team Gibbs, Tony could start seeing her hard shell begin to thaw. She started to break past the mask of her invulnerability and show more of her true self. She began fighting her own dragon so as to experience the world on her own.

Most of the time, a knight was needed to save the princess. Not many princesses can slay their own dragons.

Then again, not many princesses are Mossad-trained ninja women.

And there's no princess quite like Ziva.

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><p><strong>So short! Ugh, writer's block. Well, to make it up - double update!<strong>

**Review please!**


	18. Silence

**Disclaimer: I don't own _NCIS _or "One Week" by Barenaked Ladies.**

**Prompt #17: Silence - He'd followed Rule 4 faithfully, telling not a soul about his assignment with Jeanne. After a week of being ignored, he'd wished he'd told Ziva after all.**

**Words: 1,296**

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><p><em>It's been one week since you looked at me<em>  
><em>Cocked your head to the side and said "I'm angry"<em>  
><em>Five days since you laughed at me saying<em>  
><em>"Get that together come back and see me"<em>  
><em>Three days since the living room<em>  
><em>I realized it's all my fault, but couldn't tell you<em>  
><em>Yesterday you'd forgiven me<em>  
><em>but it'll still be two days till I say I'm sorry<em>

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><p>It was the longest week of his friggin' life. All because she wouldn't talk to him.<p>

Tony was going nuts.

That op with Jeanne had really screwed him over with Ziva. Apparently when the Director of NCIS says "Nobody is to know about this" it doesn't apply to your ninja Mossad partner. At least, that's the vibe Ziva was giving off.

She'd only said a few words to him in the past week. First it was "I am angry" when he called her out on not talking to him. He had to work another two days of _What the hell was I supposed to do's _before she gave a derisive laugh and told him to get it together and come back to see her.

Tony couldn't believe the grudge she was holding over this. He'd had ex-girlfriends who cared less about secrets he'd kept for even longer than this.

But he knew he was partly to blame.

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><p><em>How can I help it if I think you're funny when you're mad<em>  
><em>Trying hard not to smile though I feel bad<em>  
><em>I'm the kind of guy who laughs at a funeral<em>  
><em>Can't understand what I mean?<em>  
><em>Well, you soon will<em>  
><em>I have a tendency to wear my mind on my sleeve<em>  
><em>I have a history of taking off my shirt<em>

* * *

><p>But she knew what he was. Who he was, and what he always would be.<p>

He was doing a favor for the Director. She'd specially requested him for this. What was he supposed to do, turn her down? And she'd sworn him to secrecy, no less. Something he thought Ziva would appreciate.

And she thought it had been easy for him? Tony DiNozzo didn't keep secrets easily, unless they were of a personal nature that screamed _None of your goddamn business. _Otherwise he'd shamelessly blurt them to anyone; McGee can vouch for his motormouth, since most of the secrets came from him.

But when she'd looked mad at him, Tony couldn't help the smirk that pulled his lips back. It was his coping mechanism - never let them see you bleed. Q's great words to James Bond in _The World is Not Enough_.

He didn't realize just how far back it set him with his partner.

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><p><em>It's been one week since you looked at me<em>  
><em>Threw your arms in the air<em>  
><em>and said "You're crazy"<em>  
><em>Five days since you tackled me<em>  
><em>I've still got the rug burns on both my knees<em>  
><em>It's been three days since the afternoon<em>  
><em>You realized it's not my fault<em>  
><em>not a moment too soon<em>  
><em>Yesterday you'd forgiven me<em>  
><em>And now I sit back and wait til you say you're sorry<em>

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><p>It was the longest week of her friggin' life. All because he avoided her.<p>

Ziva was going bolts. No, that was wrong. Whatever, she was really, really angry.

Last week had been hell for her. When he'd confronted her at her house, she'd told him in no uncertain words that she was angry he'd kept her in the dark about his assignment. His response had been to throw up his arms and say that she was crazy, quoting Gibbs' Rule #4: _The best way to keep a secret? Keep it to yourself_. She continued with the addedum: _Second best? Tell one other person. _He finished it:_ If you must_.

She'd tackled him. In her living room. They'd scrabbled for a few minutes, enough for some bruises to be exchanged, before he got up and left without a word. Ziva had spent a very sullen and angry night nursing a bottle of scotch.

But she knew she was partially to blame.

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><p><em>How can I help it if I think you're funny when you're mad<em>  
><em>Tryin' hard not to smile though I feel bad<em>  
><em>I'm the kind of guy who laughs at a funeral<em>  
><em>Can't understand what I mean?<em>  
><em>Well, you soon will<em>  
><em>I have a tendency to wear my mind on my sleeve<em>  
><em>I have a history of losing my shirt<em>

* * *

><p>He knew what she was like. What she'd lived through, and lived with.<p>

Secrets. She hated them. Secrets got Ari killed. Secrets got Rivken killed. They had nearly killed her a number of times as well. And secrets between partners was one thing she couldn't abide. They had to trust each other with their lives on a daily basis.

So what if the Director had sworn him to secrecy? Tony could've told her; she could've been the one other person. Instead he made her think that he was in some sort of medical trouble. He'd smile in that insufferable way and shrug off her concern, which only made it worse for her.

But when he was being evasive, she had to fight every instinct she had to pry even more. It was part of her Mossad training: Learn all you can. Something her father had taught her since she was old enough to hold a knife.

She just didn't realize how little it would help in this situation.

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><p><em>It's been one week since you looked at me<em>  
><em>Dropped your arms to your sides<em>  
><em>and said "I'm sorry"<em>  
><em>Five days since I laughed at you and said<em>  
><em>"You just did just what I thought you were gonna do"<em>  
><em>Three days since the living room<em>  
><em>We realized we're both to blame,<em>  
><em>but what could we do?<em>  
><em>Yesterday you just smiled at me<em>  
><em>Cause it'll still be two days till we say we're sorry<em>.

* * *

><p>At the end of the week, they both flipped the emergency stop switch in the elevator and faced each other.<p>

They regarded each other carefully, searching for forgiveness. The last week had been hell for both of them, and for varying reasons. But the key root was the same - they knew they had to apologize. They were both to blame.

Ziva smiled at Tony. He grinned back.

And with that, they were okay. "I'm sorry" wasn't something that came easily to them, especially from them.

But that was all right. After all, actions spoke louder than words.

Two days later, those words were spoken.

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><p><strong>For some reason, this song popped into my head for this prompt. What d'you think?<strong>

**Review!**


	19. Chocolate

**Disclaimer: I don't own _NCIS._**

**Prompt #18: Chocolate - Even though she's not like other women, he still knew how to make her smile.**

**Words: 603**

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><p>"There are a few good ways into a woman's heart," Tony DiNozzo announced one day.<p>

"Really?" his companion replied. "Like what?"

Tony grinned. "All right then, pay attention little Probie. There will be a quiz." He leaned forward with a grin, happy to pass on such valuable information to a willing listener. "All right, what do you know about what girls like?"

"Um...money, pretty clothes, shoes, purses..."

He nodded. "Very good. You've learned the basics. But remember, the woman we're talking about is a very different brand of woman. Therefore, she has very different tastes regarding things that she likes." He pointed to Ziva, whose head was bowed over her desk as she filled out paperwork. "Now, what do you know about what she likes?"

His companion thought seriously, putting a finger to his lips. "Well, she likes knives, and guns, and fighting, and weapons in general. Right?"

"Very good," Tony repeated proudly. "But you forgot something very important on both fronts. You forgot the universal currency for female love and adoration. A woman's best friend."

The other male frowned. "Diamonds?"

"Okay, that's the best friend that last forever," Tony admitted. "The other best friend."

A light went off in bright brown eyes. "Chocolate!"

"Exactly!" They exchanged a high-five. "That is the best way to worm your way into a girl's heart. Unless they're on a diet. Or allergic. Then you go with strawberries. They're a big hit too." He pulled out a box wrapped in white paper and tied with a red ribbon. "Now here you go. Good luck."

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><p>Ziva knew Tony was up to something. Her Mossad-ninja senses were tingling.<p>

So when a white-wrapped box slid over her paperwork, she looked over with a prepared speech about how she still had to fill out those forms Gibbs wanted done. That speech was lost when she actually saw who delivered the box. "What are you - "

"From him," said her delivery boy, pointing to Tony. "And me." He pointed to himself.

Touched, Ziva took the box and unwrapped it. A smile appeared on her face when she was presented with a slew of chocolate-dipped strawberries. "Oh, thank you, Eli."

Elijah "Eli" DiNozzo grinned, his smile dripping with every ounce of charm he'd inherited from his father. "Happy Valentine's Day, Mama!" he said, pressing a kiss to her cheek. "Dad and I love you!"

Ziva ruffled her son's short black hair. "I love you too, Eli."

"And Dad, right?" asked Eli. "You love him too, right?"

Her smile grew more amused when she looked at her husband's grinning face. He held up his hands in a playfully defensive posture. "Don't look at me. I didn't put him up to it."

Ziva looked back at Eli, who was watching her with intent hazel eyes. "Yes, Elijah. I do love your father." Her eyes flicked up to catch Tony's in a subtle yet powerful look. "Very much."

Tony did a silent victory dance in his head. Even after years of being partners, he could still make the love of his life smile. And he could even make her give him _the eyes _from something as simple as chocolate-dipped strawberries. _I am a lucky man, _he thought.

Totally missing the silent conversation passing over his head, Eli smiled and hugged his mother happily. "Awesome!"

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><p><strong>Aww, a future fic! Love it!<strong>

**Review please!**


	20. David

**Disclaimer: I don't own _NCIS._**

**Prompt #19: David - The name sounded infinitely more sexy when she had to correct the suspect who said it wrong.**

**Words: 190**

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><p>"Look, Agent David..."<p>

"It's David."

Standing behind the two-way glass of the interrogation room, Tony smiled as his partner's exasperated tone corrected yet another suspect's pronounciation of her last name. He never got tired of hearing her say her name.

Dah-veed.

Not Day-vid, as in 'David and Goliath'. No, most definitely not. Even though he'd made the crack when they'd psyched out that arms dealer named 'Goliath' years ago, Tony knew better than to pronounce Ziva's surname as Day-vid.

It's Dah-veed.

Tony's known how to correctly say it for years, but something about the way she says it just eludes him. It's probably her accent, the way it rolls the name over and gives it a sexy allure just out of reach of the usual nuances of the English language.

Whatever it is, it's damn sexy (has he mentioned that already?) and damn funny when a suspect mispronounces her last name. Because then Tony can hear her sultry, dulcet voice once again correct the suspect.

He'll never get tired of hearing it.

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><p><strong>Shortest drabble I've ever written! I think.<strong>

**Just a small caveat: many of you reviewers have raised the issue of naming Tony and Ziva's son Elijah, Eli for short, in the last one-shot. If you wish for it to change, is there a preference? I'll take it into consideration if there is a majority consensus.**

**Review please!**


	21. Ringtone

**Disclaimer: I don't own _NCIS._**

**Prompt #20: Ringtone - After she figured out her Blackberry, the first thing she did was experiment with the different alerts for her contacts.**

**Words: 528**

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><p>Ziva David didn't show excitement over many things in her life. But when she left the phone store cradling her new Blackberry, she couldn't hide the smile on her face.<p>

A new phone meant new programming of ringtones for her contacts.

This sounds childish, but ever since ringtones started becoming personalized, Ziva had always had a particular tune or song programmed for each of her contacts. It was a guilty pleasure that she loved to indulge.

Now came the fun part - deciding who would be anounced by what song.

* * *

><p>Abby was easy. Ziva had heard this bobbity little song on the radio from a band called Arctic Monkeys. The guitar and keyboard made her head bob and weave in time, which made her think of Abby every time.<p>

**Abby's Ringtone: I Bet That You Look Good On The Dance Floor by Arctic Monkeys**

Next was McGee. For a brief moment, she wasn't sure what his tone could be. McGee was a multi-faceted person who showed more parts of himself over the years than the scared little Probie she'd first met years before. He was turning into a very impressive badass.

**McGee's Ringtone: Bad To The Bone by George Thorogood**

Gibbs was a little more challenging. Nothing could really fit Gibbs' personality. Besides, Ziva figured that he'd never really call her unless it was a dire emergency. So when she set his ringtone she set it to something very subtle, but very strong.

**Gibbs' Ringtone: People Are Strange by The Doors**

Ducky's was quite appropriate. Quirky, but oddly funny and a really nice tune to hear when it rang. Just like the cheery British medical examiner of NCIS was on a daily basis. Also somewhat appropriate, since he was always offering his advice to everyone on the team.

**Ducky's Ringtone: Does Your Mother Know by ABBA**

But it was Tony's ringtone that had Ziva giggling long after she pressed SELECT. She couldn't wait for him to call her.

* * *

><p>When the incredibly girly ringtone rang out in the middle of a crime scene, every NCIS agent, crime scene tech, and police officer looked around in confusion. This was a serious place, where serious people were working very seriously to solve a very serious crime. So why was there a ringtone blasting away that was decidedly not serious?<p>

Ziva held up her phone with an exaggerated "I wonder who this could be?" expression on her face. She pushed the connect button and said in a loud voice, "Hello Tony!"

The snickering spread like wildfire, infecting everyone who knew the NCIS agent and even those who'd heard of him.

"Wonder what he'll think when he finds out what his ringtone is?" whispered one agent to an evidence tech.

"Who cares what he thinks. I want to see his face," the tech replied with a grin.

**Tony's Ringtone: Barbie Girl by Aqua**

* * *

><p><strong>This is complete and utter crack. Which made me laugh when I read over it; apparently most of it was written at 2 AM.<strong>

**Review!**


	22. Notes

**Disclaimer: I don't own _NCIS._**

**Prompt #21: Notes - He started leaving sticky notes on her desk whenever she had a bad day.**

**Words: 613**

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><p>Ziva found the first one after a long day interrogating an arsonist.<p>

It was simply stuck to the corner of her computer screen and read, _Get some sleep. You've earned it._

She couldn't think who would've put it there. Abby and McGee were the likely culprits, or even Ducky. It was too sweet to have come from Tony, and the handwriting was nothing like Gibbs' spastic chicken scratch.

So, tired beyond belief and not willing to strain her brain, she just took the advice to heart.

* * *

><p>The next one appeared after a multi-juristictional nightmare between NCIS, CGIS, the FBI, ATF, and the crowd favorite, the CIA.<p>

Ray had been around the office and back in Ziva's life, bringing his empty promises and shady half-truths. When he'd left for parts unknown with just a promise behind him, the Israeli woman returned to her desk to see a familiar square of yellow paper stuck to the edge of her keyboard.

It read, _You deserve better. You should be happy._

Ziva smiled at her secret friend's concern for her happiness. It was sweet and charming...and it narrowed her suspect pool not a whit.

_Oh well, _she thought. She could always solve the mystery another day.

* * *

><p>It was weeks later when the next one showed up.<p>

This case was a real wringer. Triple homicide, a missing child, all culminating to the culprit being the child's disturbed mother. There were a lot of cold trails and dead ends, and twice they'd let the mother slip through their radar because she'd seemed on the level. If Gibbs' gut hadn't made them check the mother's phone history, they might've found the kid's dead body next.

Ziva really hoped she'd get a note after this case. It had been a long few days, and the sight of that child's haunted eyes had stayed with her long after its conclusion.

Luckily, her mysterious note-giver didn't disappoint. She found the square stuck to her monitor. It read, _You did all you could. Go home and take a long hot bath, then go to sleep._

While the advice was sound, Ziva was _burning _to know who was sending her these notes. But once again, exhaustion won out, and she went home without further investigation.

* * *

><p>She caught a break on the next note. Her note-leaver slipped up.<p>

This one, left after a case that had them brush elbows with Mossad, said, _McGee can write up the reports. Go home and unwind, my ninja._

He mentioned McGee. And he used the phrase "my ninja."

Which could only mean one person had written these notes.

Ziva only let one person call her ninja.

* * *

><p>He was expecting her. No surprise.<p>

She looked up at the face of her partner and grinned. "You might have kept up the game, had you not used 'my ninja'," she informed him as she walked inside.

Tony chuckled. "You weren't getting it anytime soon. It's bad form to string someone along so much."

"Do you speak from experience, Tony?"

He rolled his eyes. "Did you come here just to bust my chops for being your secret admirer?"

Ziva shook her head. "No."

"Then why?"

"I'm taking your advice," she said. "I'm here to unwind."

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><p><strong>Awww, cute! Review please!<strong>


	23. Hair

**Disclaimer: I don't own _NCIS._**

**Prompt #22: Hair - He'd seen women with several different hairstyles, gelled and moussed and sprayed within inches of its follicles, but none of them looked so luxurious like hers did _au naturale_.**

**Words: 488**

* * *

><p>Tony DiNozzo was fascinated by so many things that women did. Like those things called purses - he'd never understand how so much stuff fit inside such little bags. And the obsession with shoes - why the hell did someone need so many pairs of shoes? And don't even get him started on clothes - a lot of women he'd known had closets that fairly burst at the seams from the amount of clothes they'd possessed.<p>

But one of the most incredible things he found about women was definitely their hair.

Women - at least the ones he'd known - obsessed over their hair. Shampoos, conditioners, lotions, sprays, gels, mousse, whatever they used, they used them well. Tony always knew when a woman took care of her hair. It was in the sheen, the color, and when he was close enough, the texture and smell.

Then there were the styles. Ponytails, braids, crimped, permed, curled, straight, wavy, all different types and twists and tucks that turned the tresses into little signs that said "Look! I'm gorgeous and I know it!" There were as many ways for women to wear their hair as there were movies to watch, and Tony was pretty sure he'd seen his fair share of both.

One thing puzzled him, though. It bugged the hell out of him. All the women he'd ever met, be it on cases, at work, or off the clock, were stunning beauties. And of course they'd had fabulous personal hygenie, as well as amazing hair that was as well cared for as some people care for their showdogs.

So why - and this blows his mind - do they all pale in comparison to his new partner, who he knows for a fact does absolutely _nothing _to her hair aside from a quick brush and basic shampoo?

Maybe because he's not quite used to thinking of her as a normal woman. Yeah, that's it. She's not really a normal woman; she's a big bad Mossad liaison officer.

But Ziva's hair is something else. It's natural. Tony can count on one hand how many women he'd met with naturally styled hair that looked as good as hers did without anything making it look that way.

Mind-blowing. How was he supposed to concentrate on his work when this mystery was nestled in his brain? And he hadn't even thought of it; Inception, anyone? Hell, with Ziva's background, she could've been taught Inception.

_Nah, that's nuts._

But still...Tony was officially curious about it.

And when Tony DiNozzo got curious about a woman, he made it a personal mission to find out all he could about her.

_Watch out, Officer David, _he warned her silently. _I'm on your six_.

* * *

><p><strong>Early partnership fic here. Just a drabble that I think came together nicely.<strong>

**Review please!**


	24. Probie

**Disclaimer: I don't own _NCIS _or the episode 7x05 "Code of Conduct_._"**

**Prompt #23: Probie - "I say it with love," he'd said, and for a moment, she thought he meant it.**

**Words: 237**

* * *

><p>"But for my sanity, could you not call me Probie?"<p>

"I say it with love."

I narrow my eyes at him.

"_I say it with love_."

Did he just say that?

Does he realize he said that?

I cannot be certain. This is Tony, after all. He throws out those one-liners like they are nothing. It is now a reflex, I think.

_"I say it with love."_

What kind of love? I am never sure with English. They only have one word for love. Many other languages have several words for love, depending on what type of love one is speaking of. Love of friends. Love of family. Love of a lover, of a husband, of a wife, of a child.

Which does Tony mean? Love of friends? Of lovers? Impossible. He has grown since I have met him, but not that much, I think.

Perhaps he means just friends. Yes, that sounds like Tony.

But I would be lying if I was not...happy...that he had said something like that.

Which is ridiculous. Because this is Tony. My partner. My friend.

He can't feel that way about me.

Can he?

He breaks my thoughts with, "And if I refuse?"

* * *

><p><strong>Very short, but then again, it was a short pause in the episode.<strong>

**Review please!**


	25. Memory

**Disclaimer: I don't own _NCIS._**

**Prompt #24: Memory - She still couldn't believe, after all this time, that he remembered the first thing she'd ever said to him.**

**Words: 638**

* * *

><p>Ziva absently traced invisible patterns on Ray's chest, watching her boyfriend sleep. He'd returned from whatever secret CIA assignment with a handful of fresh wounds and severe exhaustion. She barely got a kiss before he collapsed in her bed and fell into the deep sleep of one finally allowed to relax.<p>

She didn't resent the borderline brush-off. She knew the feeling. Some assignments made you want to just go blind, deaf, and numb to the world. So she just curled up beside him and tried to sleep as well.

"You like what you see?"

His groggy quip put a smile on Ziva's face. "Very much so," she said. "Are you feeling better?"

"Much, thanks." He smiled warmly at her. "This makes me think about how we first met."

Ziva smiled back. "Miami."

"Right. Poolside. You asked me what I was reading, and when I said I was looking at Playboy bunnies, you asked if I was gay."

The ex-Mossad officer frowned slightly. "I asked if you liked seeing rabbits dressed in skimpy outfits."

"Really? Huh, I could've sworn you..." Ray yawned widely, cutting off his own sentence. "Uh, must be my exhaustion."

She nodded. "Go back to sleep, Ray," she said, pressing a kiss to his lips.

But she was awake long after he fell into dreamland.

* * *

><p>"Really? Well, that sounds tempting. Oh, y-you'd do that for me?"<p>

Ziva couldn't help the grin on her face as Tony's voice hit a slightly higher octave than normal as his volume dropped. He looked like a kid who'd found the ladies' sexy underwear section.

"Wow, is that even legal? Uh, yeah, sure, I'd like that."

Her grin got bigger, and she shared a look with McGee. The younger man was likewise amused by Tony's phone call.

Tony looked up, saw their silent conversation, and mumbled, "I gotta go." He hung up decisively and looked at Ziva. "For your information, Ziva David, I was not having phone sex."

She held up her hands. "Never said you were, Tony."

"You have a habit of coming to that conclusion," he replied. "Like when you first sauntered in here with that whole Mossad desert-warrior ensemble thing you had going on back then. You asked if I was having phone sex."

_He remembered that? _she thought in astonishment. Aloud she said, "You said, "Sometimes I pictured you naked," to nobody I could see. How could I not come to that conclusion?"

This, of course, sparked a debate that continued until Gibbs arrived with news of a dead Navy lieutenant. As they were heading to the elevator Tony sidled up beside her and muttered, "For your information, I was cutting a deal with a friend for some fireworks. The really good ones. And they're not cheap, lemme tell you."

Ziva, somewhat distracted, replied, "Of course you were, Tony."

"No, I'm serious. I wasn't having phone sex."

"Okay Tony, I was just teasing."

For some reason, knowing that Ray, her boyfriend, couldn't remember her first words to him, but Tony, her partner for significantly longer, could remember her first words to him, was very strange to Ziva. Ray and her had been together for a shorter period, and Tony's memory, while impressive, didn't normally extend past movie triva, old cases, and old girlfriends. Granted Ray had been tired, but being a CIA agent meant he needed to have excellent recall.

So how could her boyfriend blank on something her partner easily recalled on the fly?

It was food for thought.

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><p><strong>Because we all know that TIVA is the way to go!<strong>

**Review!**


	26. Kate

**Disclaimer: I don't own _NCIS, _or Tiva would be canon.**

**Prompt #25: Kate - _They were really something else_, she thought with a smirk as she followed the agents for a special day.**

**Words: 2,000**

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><p>Tony hurried out of NCIS and for the car. Maybe if he moved fast enough, he could reach the vehicle before -<p>

"Give me the keys, Tony!"

_Dammit. _"Not happening, Ziva. I value my health."

"My driving has improved significantly!" Ziva insisted, running to catch up. "Stop being such a whiny snitch!"

Tony shot her an exasperated look. "I know you know the term is 'bitch' by now."

"I know! I was being polite!"

Tony was about to respond, but stopped when he heard a giggle coming from behind him. Turning his head, he looked for the culprit but saw no one in the parking lot. _Maybe it was the wind, _he thought, shrugging it off.

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><p>At the victim's house, Tony and Ziva split up to search for clues. They weren't sure what they were looking for, so they kept their senses sharp for anything that seemed out of the ordinary.<p>

That's when Ziva's "ninja" senses made her pause for a moment. _Was this house properly cleared? _She didn't want to disrespect the police, but she could feel something in the house, just like she had aboard the _Chimera_. Another presence was in the Petty Officer's residence, someone other than her and Tony.

Drawing her gun, Ziva crept along the hallway. Her senses were strained to the limit, trying to locate this foreign presence before it could harm Tony.

There! A sound in the study. Stilling her breath, the Israeli agent listened for any indication that this person was alone or armed. She heard nothing else, but took no chances. Clicking her safety off, she quickly stepped around the corner, shouted, "NCIS! Freeze!" and leveled her weapon at -

Nothing. _That is impossible, _was her immediate thought. Ziva looked around to find any clue as to who she'd sensed. An open window caught her attention, the curtain lightly slapping the sill. She moved closer to check it out and almost stepped on a bullet casing concealed in the thick shag carpet. _If I had not moved closer to investigate, we could have missed this..._

"Ziva? What's wrong?" Tony's shout preceeded her partner's arrival, his weapon drawn and at the ready.

"Nothing. I have found a bullet casing," Ziva said, still not completely sure what she had sensed earlier. Whatever it had been, it was not there now.

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><p>The casing linked the victim to another crime, a heist from several years back, which narrowed their suspect pool considerably. With McGee running financials, Abby running prints and DNA, and Ducky trying to talk the corpse into telling its secrets, Gibbs ordered Tony and Ziva back into the field to glean some more information. The partners decided to talk to the victim's commanding officer and comrades in order to get a better grasp of his background.<p>

Neither mentioned the unusual feeling they were both experiencing. It wasn't as if they were being watched - Rule #35 made them ever wary for watchers - but it felt like someone was with them, in the car. Which was weird and silly, because it was just them in the car.

Once on base, they split up. Tony headed to check out the Petty Officer's desk while Ziva decided to see if the victim's CO would give her any information. Both came up with dead ends, but Tony was lucky and found what seemed to be part of a destroyed note. With this evidence, they headed back to NCIS.

They dropped the potential evidence off in Abby's lab and were heading to the elevator when Ziva's phone buzzed. "David," she answered. "Commander Nellis. Yes? Yes, I can go there. Yes, I understand. One hour. I understand." She hung up. "That was the Petty Officer's CO. He has information for me."

"Well then, let's go," Tony said, hitting the button.

But she shook her head. "No Tony, he said he wanted to talk to me alone. While we were at the base, he seemed tense and edgy. He believes that he could be next."

Tony frowned. "You think he's involved with that heist the Petty Officer was in?"

"Maybe. But he will not open up to me when someone else is there."

"You shouldn't go back there alone."

His partner smirked. "Tony, I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself. I will be fine." The doors pinged open, and she gently pushed him out of the elevator. "I will call you when I am done. All right?"

"All right." Tony pasted a bright grin on his face. "Remember, no fifty-car pileups on the way over! Safe driving!" Her only response was to make a face at him as the doors slid shut.

But when he returned to his desk, Tony had a nagging feeling in the back of his skull. It felt like how Gibbs would stare at the back of his head before - On impulse he ducked, but his silver-haired boss was nowhere in sight. Sitting up again, Tony tried to place the strange feeling he had.

Something was off. That much he knew. The feeling only intensified as the minutes crawled by. Drumming his fingers on his desktop, the senior agent tried to nail down this feeling better.

Maybe it was his imagination, but he could've sworn that he heard a familiar voice whisper, _She hasn't called back yet. Something's wrong._

Tony sat up straight, checking his watch. Ziva should've checked in over half an hour ago. She was always anal about being punctual, a habit from her Mossad days. She wouldn't forgo that unless -

His desk phone rang. He picked it up before the ring finished. "DiNozzo."

"_Oh my god, Tony Tony Tony!_" Only the Goth forensic specialist could speak so fast and so scared at the same time. "_McGee and I got into the Petty Officer's laptop! That piece of paper you found in his desk, the almost destroyed one? That had his password on it! When we got in - _"

McGee cut in quickly. "_Tony, it's Commander Nellis! He set up the meet in the park where we found the victim. Nellis set him up!_"

Tony's eyes widened in shock and horror. "Ziva went back alone to question him more."

That imaginary voice - who he could've sworn sounded like someone he'd known - whispered urgently, _She's in danger. Hurry!_

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><p>Ziva's sixth sense was beating a tattoo against her skull as she followed Commander Nellis into the warehouse. "Why must we talk in here?" she asked him.<p>

"No cameras. Nobody knows. I can't trust anyone." Nellis sounded agitated and scared, a bad combination in Ziva's mind. She instinctively reached for her gun -

_Run!_

She blinked. The inner voice that shouted that sounded nothing like her usual instincts. It was like someone had put a radio in her head and shouted into the microphone.

_Don't stand there! Run!_

But it was too late.

Electricity jolted through Ziva's abdomen, numbing her body and dropping her to the ground like a sack of grain. Twitching, but still conscious, she looked up at Nellis as he smiled down at her, the stun gun gripped in his hand. "I'm sorry, Agent David," he began, "but you can't - "

_Roll towards him!_

This time, Ziva didn't question the voice. Rolling, she managed to dislodge the prongs of the stun gun from her body and bowl Nellis over. He shouted in anger and grabbed her weapon, but she kept rolling. Slowly, the numbness in her limbs began to dissipate; again she thanked God for her unorthodox training to become more resiliant to tasers. Her muscles began responding to her mind again, sluggish but working enough to let her clamber to her feet and make a stumbling attempt to the exit.

A bullet ricocheted off the wall behind her. "Where are you running, Agent David?" Nellis called out. "We're nowhere near any cameras. The MPs don't patrol here for another hour. I've got that long left to kill you."

Ziva saved her breath for better things. Like escaping. Forcing her body to move, she made for the door as fast as possible. Just before she made it, that voice in her head yelled again. _Duck! _

She obeyed just as a gunshot rang out, followed by a gargled yelp. Surprised, Ziva looked up to see a familiar silhouette framed by the light of the outside spotlights. "Ziva!"

"Tony!" she shouted. "I am here. You must have hit Commander Nellis. He - "

" - killed the victim, right, I got that," he finished, holstering his gun. From behind him came Gibbs and McGee, who quickly passed him to check out Nellis. "You okay?" He reached out and grabbed her shoulders to hold her up. "Not hurt, are you?" His eyes quickly looked over her entire body for blood and other wounds.

"Just tasered. I will be fine." She looked up at him and repeated, "I will be fine, Tony."

Tony exhaled in relief. "Thank god. I was so worried - " Cutting himself off, he smiled. "C'mon, let's get out of here."

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><p>He found himself in front of the grave within the next week.<p>

But he wasn't there alone. Ziva tagged along. As always. She stood next to him and looked down at the tombstone that bore two words she'd only before seen in a file.

Caitlin Todd.

"So this is where she is," Ziva said.

Tony nodded. "I - I missed the anniversary last year. Gibbs usually leaves flowers on the rooftop where Ari...where she got shot," he said, his voice catching on the name of her killer and Ziva's half-brother. He bowed his head and said a few silent words to his former partner, then glanced at Ziva. "Thanks for coming, Zi."

Ziva smiled. "Of course. May I?" She gestured to the tombstone with a hopeful look on her face. He understood the silent request and headed back to the car, leaving Ziva to speak in private.

"Kate?" she started, a little hesitant. "I know we have never met, but I know of you. I am Ziva. My brother...Ari...I am the one who helped Gibbs get revenge for your death." Swallowing past the lump in her throat, she pushed on. "Tony was really shaken up last week, while we on this one case. I believe he was scared that...that I would end up like you. He has become very overprotective lately, but I expect that will lessen after today. He has always been more peaceful when he returns from visiting you." Ziva reached out and touched the weathered stone. "Do not worry. I will take care of him."

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><p>Ziva did sense a sort of serenity as she left the cemetary. But she associated that with the feeling she always had after leaving such a place.<p>

She never saw the mist that shimmered above the tombstone in a person-shaped haze.

She never felt the sigh of relief that emanated from the air around the grave.

She never heard the whispered "_Thank you, Ziva,_" that the wind carried away.

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><p><strong>I personally love this one. Perfect for the halfway marker!<strong>

**Review please! So close to 150, let's go all the way!**


	27. Description

**Disclaimer: I don't own _NCIS._**

**Prompt #26: Description - It hadn't been clear, but she always thought he'd been describing her during that case with the Hutton siblings.**

**Words: 736**

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><p>Ziva figured that on some level, Tony found her very desirable. Aside from the flirting, because he did that with any pretty woman single, married, or over the age of legal. But she was never sure enough to ask him further. For all her strengths as an agent, she still possessed the female disposition of not being entirely sure if the man she was interested in was really interested in her.<p>

It's come up a few times, during cases and such, but always in a way that makes it seem inconsequencial. Once, spurned on by his current woman trouble and truly interested, she asked about his perfect woman, his Miss Right. She'd expected the starting joke, but when he became serious, she paid attention.

"_Aside from the obvious, physical requirements...I don't know. I guess she'd be a, very independent woman. Intelligent. Successful. Professional_."

That's when Ziva wished to God he'd been more specific. Those were such generic specifications. Did he want a particular type of professional woman? A newscaster, maybe? Or a successful doctor? How independent was very independent?

Damn the man for making her as insecure as a...as a...as a woman!

He was insufferable. That's what he was. Ziva didn't know why she bothered half the time.

But then he'd do something sweet, and charming, and completely Tony of him that she'd remember why she didn't use him for target practice. He'd say something, or do something, or give her some tiny little flash of hope that had her literally sitting on the edge of her seat, waiting for the other (slipper? Boot? Clog?) to drop and for him to realize what she'd known for years now.

That his Miss Right was closer than he thought. That she'd just been waiting for him to know what he wanted.

Ziva was very independent. She was intelligent. She was a successful, professional NCIS agent.

And if his stolen glances affirmed anything, she _definitely _had the physical requirements down pat.

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><p>After a long case, Ziva was tidying up her desk to leave when she heard Tony rummaging through his drawers. Naturally she was curious, so she called over, "What are you doing now, Tony?"<p>

"Just getting ready to leave, Zee-Vah," he replied. He glanced up at her. "Hey, you got any plans for tonight?"

"No." Her eyebrow rose. "Were you stood up again, Tony?"

"Nah, just bored. And I remembered that you haven't seen _Tomorrow Never Dies _yet." He flashed her a disarmingly charming grin. "Pierce Brosnan, Michelle Yeoh. 007 teams up with ninja Chinese spy to save the world. Great stunts, great shots. I'm surprised you never saw it."

"I do not watch those types of movies in my up time," Ziva admitted, frowning when the idiom sounded wrong. "Up time. Side time?"

"Down time," he corrected gently. "So, want to come over?"

She debated it for a few seconds. "I was hoping to finish my paperwork tonight. I am almost done."

That grin returned. "A woman with her mind focused on success. Can't say I'm surprised."

Ziva tried not to show what that did to her. Speaking as evenly as possible, she replied, "Do you have an issue with my wanting to finish my work rather than goof off with you, Tony?"

"Oh no, Ziva," said her partner honestly. "No, your professionalism just makes me feel like a lazy slug."

"You are a lazy slug sometimes." _That is two, _she thought quietly. "Perhaps if you finished your paperwork more often, you would not be so far behind in your work."

He held up his hands in defeat. "Fine. I'm smart enough to know when I'm outmatched. Why don't we just go watch the movie? I'll drive."

"I have my own car. I will meet you at your place."

"Alright, Miss Independent."

Ziva ground her teeth in annoyance. _There are times I wish to kill you, _she thought as they walked out together. _Then again, there are times I wish to kiss you. It is beginning to disturb my calm_.

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><p><strong>Review please!<strong>


	28. Intrusion

**Disclaimer: I don't own _NCIS._**

**Prompt #27: Intrusion - Tony had long ago given up any semblence of privacy afforded by going to the bathroom.**

**Words: 808**

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><p>When the door to the men's room banged open and a woman walked inside, Tony didn't even blink. Only one woman he knew would be brazen enough to do that.<p>

The guy in the next stall, however, almost jumped out of his skin when the sexy Israeli NCIS agent stalked into the men's room, leaned up against the wall, and crossed her arms to wait. He swallowed nervously and said weakly, "Um, this is the men's - "

"I know where I am," Ziva snapped at him, her eyes never leaving Tony. He could _feel _the eyeball lasers burning holes through his skull. "I am talking to that man. You may leave."

Which he did. Very quickly. Tony wouldn't be shocked if he forgot to zip his fly. He heard the hitch in her voice that she got when she made a grossed-out face. "He did not wash his hands."

"Gee, I wonder why," he drawled back, glancing over his shoulder to shoot her a look. "We talked about this. You should really stop scaring the newbies, Zee-Vah. You'll give them nightmares about ninja women in bathrooms and scar them for life." When she didn't even crack a smile, Tony sighed. "All right, I'll bite. What's up, my ninja?"

She tilted her head to the side, regarding his back. "How are you?"

"Be more specific."

"Fine. How is your arm?"

"Better." He had almost regained full motion on the elbow joint after having to clothesline a suspect. "What's the deal? I doubt you just came in to pester me about my physical well-being."

Ziva fell silent. Zipping up his fly, Tony moved to the sink and washed his hands pointedly. He knew better than to rush her; too much pushing made Ziva shut down, and he was honestly curious what had made her follow him into the bathroom this time. It only happened when she was genuinely worried about him.

Suddenly she was next to him, invading his personal space and right in his face. "I am sorry that Ana was killed," she said honestly.

The only outward sign of emotion Tony showed was a blink of his eyes. Inside, he was still tearing himself up about it. Their witness had been a lovely twenty-something accountant who had just been in the wrong place at the wrong time. The wrong people took an unhealthy interest in her, and she'd been killed while under Tony's protection. Anyone would be shaken up by that, but for Tony it was different.

Ana had put her trust in him. He had promised to keep her safe. And now she was lying on a slab downstairs with a .45 slug in her skull. He deserved to be a little depressed about it.

Ziva reached up to put her hand on his shoulder. "Tony, it was...it was good that you were with her."

"Why's that?" he asked dully, shutting off the water.

The former assassin leaned forward to make him look at her. "She died with someone she trusted. She did not die alone or scared."

"She's still dead, Ziva."

"But she did not die alone or scared," Ziva insisted. "Trust me, that is a much better way."

He turned so that they were standing face-to-face. "How d'you figure that one?"

She didn't look away. "I thought I would die alone in Somalia, and I was scared."

Tony was floored. Ziva never spoke of her hellish summer captivity in Somalia anymore, and she certainly never spoke of how scared she'd been there. That she was sharing such a private moment of weakness with him spoke of how much she was worried about him.

Ziva continued to speak. "Ana never had to go through that. She felt safe with you. She never saw it coming, probably." She tried to give him a smile. "Trust me, in the end, it was better that you were with her."

Strange, he thought. Gibbs had told him almost the same thing. So why was it that when Ziva said it, he felt so much better? Why did he respond to her better than Gibbs?

Not only because she was a woman, but maybe because she was his partner. For some reason, her words were more reassuring than Gibbs's.

Impulsively, he hugged her. She tensed, then slowly returned the gesture. "Thanks, Ziva," he said hoarsely.

"Anytime, Tony," she replied.

"Please don't tell Gibbs."

"Of course not." She pulled back and gave him a soft smile. "This is between partners."

"Thanks, Ziva."

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><p><strong>Awwww! Tiva hurtcomfort!**

**Review please!**


	29. Connection

**Disclaimer: I don't own _NCIS._**

**Prompt #28: Connection - They had something special, Gibbs thought. Something he had with Jenny, once upon a time.**

**Words: 510**

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><p>Gibbs prided himself on being able to read and know people pretty damn well. To combat situations that he knows are dangerous and unavoidable, he fashioned The Rules. In the words of his first love and wife Shannon, "Everyone needs a code they can live by."<p>

For the wayward souls who find their way into his life and under his wing, he teaches them these Rules. Not only because knowing them makes them easier to work with, but because it would help them deal with those same inevitable situations that their lives as NCIS agents throw at them. They learn to honor and commit to those Rules just as rigorously as he does.

Gibbs's most important Rule is Rule 12: "Never date a coworker." It's ironclad. It's absolute.

It's going to get completely blown away by Tony and Ziva one day. He sees the signs. They're actually quite obvious, once you know what to look for.

It's almost like what happened with him and Jenny. They met, and almost instantly, there was chemistry. Volatile chemistry. They worked well together, meshed together. He taught her everything he knew, and she managed to teach him a couple things as well.

Which is why Rule 12 was created. They got close, much too close, and it ended bad. They parted with unresolved feelings, and Gibbs never wanted anyone to have that particular type of heartache hell in them.

He cut McGee and Abby some slack because, let's face it, McGee wasn't about to last very long with Abby. She was too..._much _for him. When they did part, they stayed friends. Good friends. So Gibbs never pursued the matter. Not even when McGee started getting the guts and the balls to be tougher than before, tough enough to protect himself and those he cared about, and when he and Abby started sharing those moments again...

But that's another story.

Tony and Ziva were Gibbs and Jenny, just younger and much, much different. Gibbs had not been a disinherited playboy who'd slept his way through a good portion of D.C.'s hottest women; Jenny had not been a cold-blooded assassin raised by the director of a very powerful organization of killers and spies. Individually, they were completely different.

Paired up? It was like looking into the past.

Tony tried to guide, while Ziva tried to overachieve. He flirted, she flirted back. They had each other's backs, both on the job and off. They got each other on a deeper level than anybody, including thier own parents. It was the type of connection that inevitably led to a deeper relationship. But as Gibbs had learned the hard way, such relationships could kill a steady partnership.

But then again, Tony and Ziva aren't him and Jenny. Maybe they'd have a different outcome.

However, Rule 12 still stood. "Never date a coworker."

They'd just have to convince him otherwise.

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><p><strong>Gibbs would not make it easy for them. Overprotective father, much?<strong>

**Review please.**


	30. Innocence

**Disclaimer: I don't own _NCIS._**

**Prompt #29: Innocence - She didn't have much left because of her past, but he tried to keep whatever remained so that she didn't lose herself.**

**Words: 293**

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><p>If one said the word "innocent" "pure" or even "naive" it's pretty likely that they don't mean somebody like NCIS Special Agent Ziva David.<p>

But Tony could equate those words with her. Easily.

Ziva was innocent. Several things most people know about, she doesn't. She assumed the worst in people, thinking that things were the way they were and almost nothing could change those truths. But when people pleasantly surprised her, she was always in awe for a few minutes.

Ziva was pure. She had very few untainted ideals left, but those she did retain, she guarded and believed with every fiber in her body. If they were ever challenged, it came as a very nasty shock to her. When she'd found that Ari and Rivken had both been sent to D.C. on her father's orders, it had broken what little trust she'd held in her father.

Ziva was naive. It doesn't just stretch to her lack of knowledge regarding common American idioms. She's unaware why she can't seem to find a man who will accept her for all she is and was - killer, agent, and woman. Ray had left her dangling like a worm for long enough. Why could she not see how much Tony wanted to hold her close and protect her from the world?

Even with all those examples, Tony knows that she's also, fundamentally, a good person. Being an assassin notwithstanding, Ziva was one of the most incredible people he knew.

An innocent killer. A pure assassin. A naive woman.

Contradictions all, but then again, Ziva was a contradiction wrapped in an enigma simmering beneath the skin of his sexy partner.

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><p><strong>Eh, not as good a flow in this one, but it's okay.<strong>

**Review please!**


	31. App

**Disclaimer: I don't own _NCIS._**

**Prompt #30: App - He should have never gotten her addicted to Angry Birds.**

**Words: 784**

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><p>The first time he felt a twinge of apprehension, he'd actually been showing her the dreaded game.<p>

Surveillence duty always sucked. But Tony had the newest Angry Birds on his phone. Boredom would not take him this time.

However, he forgot about Ziva. A dangerous thing to do, especially when Ziva gets bored. Put a twitchy Israeli ninja in the room, add some coffee and sugary snacks, and don't add any interesting developments for over three hours, and you had a bubbling concoction of trouble just waiting to boil over.

It was inevitable that she got curious enough to look over his shoulder and asked, "What are you playing, Tony?"

Maybe he felt bad for her. Maybe he was just tired. Maybe his brain decided to forget that the last time he introduced Ziva to a new game, she kept playing computer pinball so much she nearly broke the keyboard. Whatever the reason, he was dumb enough to show her the screen and tell her the name of the game. He even let her play a game before commandeering his phone back.

Then the next day, she showed up with the game on her phone. She played it constantly, whenever she had free time and sometimes even when she was supposed to be doing work. When she got stuck on a level, it was clear from the way her eyebrows furrowed in anger to to the steady string of mumbled Hebrew curses that escaped her lips.

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><p>The next time he felt a twinge in his gut, it was when Ziva had misplaced her phone. She was tearing apart her desk with a single-minded fixation that reminded Tony of the way a bloodhound searches for its favorite bone buried in the backyard.<p>

He made the mistake of asking her, "What're you doing?"

"Do not bother me, DiNozzo," she snapped. "I must find my phone, and I must find it now."

Tony raised an eyebrow. "And why you need to find it now?"

"Because I have finally figured out how to beat the latest level and I do not find it right now, I believe I will kill something," she stated.

"Okay then," Tony said, leaning back to watch his partner continue her mad rummaging.

After a while, the Hebrew curses grew increasingly acerbic and Tony began to fear for his life. When Ziva began to glare around the bullpen as if looking for a suspect, he decided to step in.

"Zee-Vah, maybe you should calm down...like now. You're scaring people."

The way she looked at him, Tony felt as if he ought to be dead five different ways from yesterday. "I will calm down once I find my phone!" she snapped.

So he stayed out of her way until Ziva found her phone and opened the app. Then he continued to stay out of her way. Sometimes you had to pick your battles.

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><p>Ziva finally crossed the line when, again on surveillance, she would not look up from her attack on tiny fat green pigs with colorful fat birds no matter how many times he called her name. Annoyed that he was being ignored, Tony did something that, to this day, he questions his sanity and the reason he's alive.<p>

He reached over and took Ziva's phone from her hand.

The Israeli woman glared at her partner. "Give it back, DiNozzo."

"No way. Your eyes are bloodshot from playing this game." He turned the device off and pocketed it. "Enough's enough. Your turn on the microphone."

They switched places, and Tony pointedly ignored the dirty looks Ziva was throwing at him. To avoid provoking the angry assassin even more, he resisted the urge to take out his own phone and play Angry Birds. She'd lunge like a lioness before he could launch his first red fowl.

The rest of the night was spent in sullen and (in Tony's case) cautious silence. When McGee and Gibbs came to relieve them, Tony and Ziva headed down to their car. He dug in his pocket and handed over her phone. "Here. I'll drive so you can play."

Ziva snatched it back from his fingers so fast it almost burned. "Do not take this from me again," she warned him.

"Whatever you say, Ziva," he said, starting up the car.

He wasn't about to cheat death for something like an app again.

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><p><strong>Wow, this one was a challenge. Hope Ziva wasn't too OOC. If she was, I apologize.<strong>

**Review please!**


	32. Angel

**Disclaimer: I don't own _NCIS._**

**Prompt #31: Angel - His boyish smile always made her heart flutter, especially when something he said sounded a little too real.**

**Words: 391**

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><p>Of all the men she had met in her life, Tony DiNozzo was the only one Ziva David felt distinctly uncertain about.<p>

Tony DiNozzo was many things. Special Agent, flirt, investigator, prank master, friend, partner, and her ever-present shield from whatever fools wanted to hurt her. Her guardian angel, as it were, with his own streak of mischief that rivaled a shoulder devil. But just because he seemed a candidate for wearing the golden halo didn't mean that his wasn't slightly crooked.

Oh, he was handsome. Fine Italian stud, jock in college, fraternity looks coupled with the smoothness of a veteran playboy, and a rugged intensity that had good girls staring after his ass, no wonder Tony had his pick of fine women. A gift he used frequently to charm his way into a woman's heart and sometimes, sometimes, coax out a confession.

And he was a gentleman. For the mindset of a man-child, he had the manners of a lord. That had been a learned skill over the years; his faux-relationship with Jeanne had done something right with him. He treated women with care and sensitivity, and he would stand up for one if she was being harassed or in danger. Chivalry was not dead; it had found a healthy host in Tony DiNozzo.

But most importantly, he had a heart. He could empathize, and sympathize, and had a capacity for gentleness that many men weren't prone to sharing with the world. He wasn't afraid to show his emotions, although he had the male tendency to keep his tears hidden from his friends.

He made her feel all types of confused. Most often it came from his smile, an expression she'd seen innumerable times on innumerable faces under every circumstance known to man, but somehow his was different. On him, it was sweet and ever-so-dangerous in ways that she couldn't fathom and didn't want to find out.

He teased her. He smiled at her. He's saved her life and her sanity more times than should be allowable, and he's threatened her calm more than she's willing to admit.

And despite knowing that this man was a cocky-as-shit angel with a talent for mischief coloring his soul, Ziva couldn't help but be drawn to him.

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><p><strong>Awww, Ziva's in denial!<strong>

**Review please!**


	33. Devil

**Disclaimer: I don't own _NCIS._**

**Prompt #32: Devil - She had a sweet face and a smile that angels would fall for, but Tony knew that beneath that exterior slept a legion of demons that she barely kept contained.**

**Words: 722**

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><p>Sometimes Ziva managed to convince people that she was just another stunningly beautiful woman who happened to be a federal agent. She was very good at it too. But there were times that Tony could see the act was wearing down on her.<p>

Her armor wasn't impenetrable. There were cracks, imperfections that belied just what she was keeping hidden behind those walls she'd erected around herself. Sometimes the things she kept contained...slipped through.

Sometimes, she let them loose.

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><p>It was a simple, straight-up Marine vs. gangbanger case. Gibbs' gut had gone hinky, and so Tony and Ziva had been dispatched to pull in the head gangbanger for questioning. Of course he didn't make it easy for them. Calling Ziva <em>la bonita <em>hadn't really gained him points either.

Then he bolted, and they gave chase.

Tony had sped past Ziva and caught the gangbanger first, but like many things in life, it didn't go according to plan. Gangbanger had a knife that he hadn't seen, and when it flicked out, the agent froze for a fatal moment. That gave the punk enough time to place the blade at Tony's throat

Ziva's shout of "TONY!" precluded the unmistakable sound of her Sig clearing her holster. "Drop the knife!" she ordered the gangbanger.

"Don't think so, _la bonita_," crooned the scumbag. "Maybe you better put down your gun, eh?"

"I put down this gun, you die," she said with the finality of terminal cancer. "The only thing keeping my knife from plunging into your throat is this gun I'm pointing at you."

The punk laughed, but Tony could tell she was serious as a heart attack. As dangerous as his partner was, gun-toting Ziva was not nearly as deadly as knife-wielding Ziva or, God forbid, close-combat Ziva. His ninja was like a tornado; plenty vicious from afar, but more dangerous the closer you got to her. Tony could see that she was keeping herself from throwing away her gun and lunging for the punk like a tigress.

Luckily the stalemate didn't last long. McGee and Gibbs showed up and took down the gangbanger, leaving Tony with a superficial cut along his neck. Ziva didn't move from her position, just holstered her weapon and seemed to freeze in place.

Tony didn't take it personally. He knew she was trying to rein herself in.

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><p>Later that day, he managed to catch Ziva before she left. "Thanks for having my back out there, <em>la bonita<em>."

The Israeli woman instantly went on high alert. If she was still fresh-from-Mossad Ziva, Tony would've had his back to the wall and a knife to his gut. Americanized Ziva merely whirled around and grabbed his wrist in a move that would let her break it in a heartbeat. "Do not...do not call me that," she hissed through her teeth.

"Okay, calm down," Tony said calmly. He'd learned early on not to show fear or panic to an angry Ziva. "Zi, it's me. Breathe."

Her eyes widened slightly, as if she just realized what had happened. She released his wrist like it had burned her. "I am sorry," she mumbled.

Tony gave her a reassuring smile. "S'okay, Zee-Vah," he said with his customary stretch of her name. "I get it. It's fine." He spoke casually, softly, like trying to calm a spooked horse. "I'll just keep calling you my ninja, that better?"

Ziva nodded, still a little wired. Deciding to take a risk, Tony slowly reached up and tussled her unbound hair. As he'd intended, a small smile curled the corners of her lips upward. "There it is," he murmured with his own smile. "There's my ninja."

She lifted her hand to rest atop his on her head. "Thank you, Tony."

"Anytime, Ziva."

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><p>Her inner demons were worse than most people could imagine. She tried to keep them locked away, but even the best levees can develop cracks over time.<p>

Luckily, Tony's there to help her plug the holes before they burst.

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><p><strong>Review please!<strong>


	34. Voice

**Disclaimer: I don't own _NCIS._**

**Prompt #33: Voice - The sound of her singing stopped him cold. Even outside a crowded room, he'd know her dulcet tones anywhere.**

**Words: 877**

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><p>Tony kept his pace unhurried as he made his way through the underground casino. His cover as a wealthy arms dealer fit him like a second skin, almost as snugly as the Kelvar vest strapped to his chest. Hopefully just a precaution, but when meeting an elusive criminal entrepreneur who served as the crime world's bank of supreme evil, it's best to plan for the worst.<p>

"Ah, Mr. Bower," came a voice from behind Tony. The Senior Field Agent turned to face that self-same bank, one Michael Ashton. Devestatingly handsome with the moral conscience of a sociopath, he had everything - money, girls, and connections to every criminal enterprise in the States. All he needed now were the guns to protect his business - guns he hoped to buy from Tony before the night was over. "I trust you're enjoying yourself."

Tony's smile was as fake as a three-dollar bill, but it would've fooled even a trained liar. "Oh yeah. You throw one hell of a party, Ashton." From across the room he heard the band start up, a piano and a deeper instrument thumping out a slow song. He heard cymbals being lightly tapped.

And then he heard _her_.

**Rusted brandy in a diamond glass**  
><strong>Everything is made from dreams<strong>  
><strong>Time is made from honey slow and sweet<strong>  
><strong>Only the fools know what it means<strong>  
><strong>Temptation<br>Temptation  
>Temptation<strong>  
><strong>I can't resist<strong>

_It can't be_...His mouth went dry when he heard the familiar voice speaking those words. Trying to stay very casual, Tony craned his neck to try and find out where the singer was coming from. But wherever it was, she wasn't visible from his place in the casino. He burned to search for her, but knew he couldn't leave Ashton without drawing suspicion.

He didn't know Ziva would be here.

True, Vance had pulled her off Gibbs' MCRT for a top-secret assignment over a month ago, but there'd been no way to know where she'd gone. Not for a lack of trying; McGee had hacked every combination of the alphabet soup agencies to find her. She'd just disappeared off the face of the planet.

But if she was here, it meant that something had to be going down. Soon.

That voice shifted slightly, gaining an accent he recognized from another undercover assignment, from another woman. But unlike the barely-there trace he heard from Jeanne, this woman's exotic tone had never failed to enchant him.

**Oui, je suis**  
><strong>Qu'il est fait fumé<strong>  
><strong>Oui, ju me suis paumée<strong>  
><strong>Il sais que je suis fauchée<strong>  
><strong>Mais à moi de jouer<strong>  
><strong>Oui<strong>  
><strong>Tentation<br>Tentation  
>Tentation<strong>  
><strong>Je peux pas résister<strong>

_Oh sweet God above, save me_. Tony swallowed hard as he tried not to react to her singing in French. It had to be the hottest thing he'd ever heard a woman do, and he hadn't even seen Ziva yet.

Ashton caught him looking. "Oh, you like? Tali is my newest employee, and she's quite an extraordinary woman."

_Don't I know it_, Tony thought to himself. "She sounds amazing."

"Come." He led Tony through another door that led into a lounge bar, where elegantly dressed people sat at little tables with their drinks and stared at the live band.

At the stunning woman who sang like nothing Tony had ever heard.

**Dutch pink and Italian blue**  
><strong>He's there awaiting for you<strong>  
><strong>My will has disappeared<strong>  
><strong>Now confusion is oh so clear<strong>  
><strong>Temptation<strong>  
><strong>Temptation<strong>  
><strong>Temptation<strong>  
><strong>I can't resist<strong>

Ziva was in prime form up there, just as beautiful as she'd been in Morocco all those years ago when Vance had split them up. Her dress was a dark wine red that hugged her curves and spilled over her legs in a cascade of ruffled silk, parting at the knee in a slit that showed her shimmering red high heels. Those smoky eyes drifted over the crowd - until they landed on him.

"She really is something else," remarked Ashton. "A beautiful voice, and a singularly beautiful woman, don't you agree?"

Tony nodded, unable to tear his eyes away from his partner. "A real gem."

**Temptation**  
><strong>Temptation<strong>  
><strong>Temptation<strong>  
><strong>I can't resist<strong>

When her song ended, the lounge erupted into applause. Then Ashton said something that made Tony contemplate thanking him for, even though he was firmly placed in the Evil Villian category. "Would you like me to introduce you to her?"

Tony tried not to show his excitement as he replied, "I would love to meet her."

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><p><strong>I wish they'd make Cote sing again. She's got a really good voice.<strong>

**Review please!**


	35. Mistakes

**Disclaimer: I don't own _NCIS._**

**Prompt #34: Mistakes - They'd both made choices over the years, however misguided, that had kept them apart for far too long.**

**Words: 982**

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><p><em>Where did it go wrong?<em>

_When did everything get so difficult?_

_Why couldn't she..._

_Why couldn't he..._

_Why didn't they?_

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><p>Abby bit her index finger nervously. Next to her, McGee wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Gibbs stood by the door to the ICU, draining his fifth cup of horrible hospital coffee. They'd been there for almost four hours, but they didn't feel any need to leave.<p>

It was supposed to be safe. A routine drive to pick up a suspect for interrogation. Tony and Ziva had been sent, bickering like schoolchildren about who would drive and why. They'd been all right.

And now they weren't.

Ziva had been shot just above her hip, a through and through that nicked an artery. In addition to a bullet in his thigh, Tony's elbow had been shattered. Both had lost a lot of blood. If Gibbs' gut hadn't sent out warning signals, they might've never made it in time. They'd be on Ducky's slabs in autopsy, not fighting for their lives under the knife of a different sort of doctor.

Abby was mentally preparing the greatest tongue-lashing in the history of EVER for them both. Of course, different versions were needed for Tony and Ziva - there was only so much one could hear that had the other cocking a head to go, "Huh?"

The doors opened, and out walked one of the surgeons. "Agent DiNozzo?" he called.

Gibbs jumped up. "I'm his boss."

"Agent DiNozzo is in recovery now. We were able to stop the bleeding and patch him up. You can go in to see him if you want."

They didn't need be told twice. Abby led the pack as she raced down the hallway in her platform boots, heading for the room. To her immense relief, Tony was sitting up, looking tired and pale but very much alive.

"Tony!" Abby shrieked, throwing her arms around him in a bear hug that drove all the breath from his lungs.

"Ow...Abs, can't breathe..."

"Oh! Sorry." Quickly letting go, she grabbed his hand tightly. "Are you all right now?"

"I've felt better, but I like the whole 'still alive' thing," he admitted. His eyes looked around, suddenly seeming to register the missing member of their team. "Where's Ziva?"

Amid the awkward silence, Gibbs spoke up. "Still in surgery."

"Surgery?" Tony repeated, sounding out of it thanks to the painkillers. "What? Why? She's fine." His eyes darted around, no longer seeing the hospital room as his memory took him for a trip of recollection. "She was fine - she gave me cover fire when I got pinned down, I ran back to her - " He looked at his sling-and-plaster-encased arm, frowning in confusion. "How did that happen?" he murmured.

"Think, DiNozzo," Gibbs said urgently. "The case. The PFC's house. His wife opened fire on you."

Tony nodded blearily. "Yeah, Ziva took cover behind the car. I was trying to hide behind the trashcans. She gave me cover fire to run back, and I felt the bullet hit my leg..." He looked down at the bandaged limb. "I fell behind the car. I remember Ziva pulling me back...I pulled out my gun and...and then I - I don't remember. I can't remember. Why can't I remember?" He was working himself into a small panic, evident by the frantic beep-beep-beep of the machine recording his heart rate.

"Agent Gibbs?" came the doctor's voice from outside. Their silver-haired leader stepped out to talk with him, leaving McGee and Abby to calm Tony down. He wasn't gone long. When he returned, Gibbs spoke directly to Tony.

"She's out of surgery. They're putting her in a room down the hall."

Tony's reply was just as direct. "I'm going down there. Get me a wheelchair."

A nurse wheeled on to his bedside; obviously Gibbs had expected the demand. Tony didn't flirt with the pretty woman, a clear indication of how worried he was for his partner. Once he and his IV were squared away, the team pushed Tony down the hallway towards where Ziva was recuperating.

Her eyes fluttered open when they entered, then shifted to rest on Tony's face. Abby saw the identical looks of relief that swept over their faces before it was tamped down with a smirk and sarcasm.

"Lookin' a little pale there, David," Tony said, motioning McGee to push him to her bedside. "Getting enough sun?"

"And you, DiNozzo? A new arm accessory, I see," she replied, her voice sounding raw and dry. "Is papier-mâché the newest rage?"

His grin was pure playboy. "You know how much I like staying stylish. You, on the other hand, are absolutely forbidden from wearing that gown ever again."

"Never thought you would complain about me being so scantily dressed."

"It's the wrong shade for you. Totally turning me off."

They continued to bicker good-naturedly, but Abby could see the mutual relief and attraction that simmered in their eyes. Making a pout that went completely unnoticed, she hooked her arm around McGee's and pulled the agent out of the room.

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><p><em>You've got to be kidding me!<em>

_Why were they always so blasted stubborn?_

_Didn't he care about her?_

_Didn't she want him too?_

_Why couldn't they just suck it up and admit it already?_

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><p><strong>Somehow this went into a totally different direction than expected...<strong>

**Review please!**


	36. Mirror

**Disclaimer: I don't own _NCIS._**

**Prompt #35: Mirror - Whenever a case involves the team taking care of a kid, it's noticed that the kid sometimes turns out to be a miniature version of one of them.**

**Words: 775**

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><p>When Gibbs's team takes in a kid in connection with a case involving one or both of the kid's parents, certain things about said child are noticed.<p>

Mainly, the similarities to a particular agent in the team.

It was first noticed with Sandy Watson. She, being blind, had a very different way of interacting with the world. She had exceptionally sensitive senses, as well as being a bright, clever girl who knew that she could help find her mother. With her help, they rescued her mother and caught the bad guy. She was the most like Abby, using what she could of the world's clues to help the team find out where her mother was being held.

Zack was the next one. He acted quite mature for his age. Logical, blunt, and very to-the-point when it came to information regarding his missing dad. He also showed a flair for going off for answers without any way to contact him. He was the most like Gibbs, quick and clever enough to gain valuable clues to help the team find out where his father had been taken.

When Carson came along, the resemblance was a little bit creepy. He was a loose, easygoing kid who used sarcasm and movie quotes as easily as a maid used a vacuum and feather duster. But his serious side appeared when his father's innocence was called into question. He was obviously like Tony, hiding his insecurities behind a mask of charm and smiles but more than capable of stepping up when need be.

Then there was Angela. A genius child, she saw the world in a way that left most people scratching their heads. Hiding secrets to protect her mother, she had a sense of duty that had her traipsing off to save what family she had left. She shared a lot with Ziva, wanting to strike out on her own to protect her family from those who would try to harm them.

See? The kids are eerie little replicas.

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><p>Agatha "Aggie" Marshwood, age twelve, sat at McGee's desk and happily attacked his keyboard with swift, sure fingers. Cherry-red headphones covered her ears and provided a stark contrast to her pageboy-cut platinum-blonde hair. Shocking blue eyes darted behind pink-rimmed glasses all over the screen as she read and processed several things a minute. Dressed in black and red and white, she looked to be a strange hybrid of Tinkerbell and a Hot Topic cover girl.<p>

Tony and Ziva glanced at each other, then back at Aggie, and at each other again. "Just a little strange," Ziva admitted.

"Right?" Tony agreed. "Really weird. She's like a genetic experiment to combine Pink and Poindexter with a dash of Gothic flair."

"Now you are exaggerating," stated Ziva, returning to her computer to finish updating the BOLO. "She is a very sweet girl, Tony. And she is very worried about her older brother."

McGee suddenly appeared, bearing a kid-sized Caf-Pow to plop down next to Aggie. "How's it going?" he asked her, squatting down next to her and resting his chin on crossed arms on his desk.

Words came out of Aggie's mouth, but for the life of Tony or Ziva, they couldn't understand what the words meant. McGee, however, just responded in kind, leading the other two agents to believe that they were speaking Geek. When they mentioned CIA mainframe and firewalls, it could only be assumed there was some Hackese mixed in there somewhere.

Tony moved closer to whisper into Ziva's ear. "If McGee and Abby ever spawned, I'm guessing their kid would look and act like Aggie."

"You cannot know that, Tony."

"Wanna bet? I can bring up that face-mashing software McGee used a couple years back, run them through it."

Ziva rolled her eyes. "No, Tony, I do not think you should. Why don't we just - "

What he should just do, she never explained. Aggie chose that precise moment to jump out of her seat as Gibbs blew through the bullpen. "Abby's got something," he called out.

"Coming Gibbs!" said Aggie, bounding after Gibbs. Gibbs, not even blinking when she joined him in the elevator, beckoned his three other agents to hurry up.

Tony gave Ziva a loaded look. _Spawn of McGee and Abby, _he mouthed.

_Shut up, _she replied eloquently as they hurried to catch the elevator before it shut.

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><p><strong>Hahaha! This one makes me laugh!<strong>

**Review please!**


	37. Knife

**Disclaimer: I don't own _NCIS._**

**Prompt #36: Knife - Even without Rule 9, she carried a blade. When she got bored, she cleaned it in the office.**

**Words: 642**

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><p>"That's new."<p>

Ziva looked up to see McGee admiring her blade. "It is, in a way," she replied.

"Did you get it while on vacation?"

She shook her head. "It was a birthday gift, actually. From a very old, very dear friend."

By now McGee had gotten up and walked over to inspect the weapon for himself. "Very sweet," he remarked, nodding at the craftsmanship. "Very you. Who's it from?"

"A friend," Ziva repeated in that tone of voice that said, very gently, _Drop it_.

McGee, being McGee and kind and somewhat considerate, dropped it. But Tony, who had been watching the whole exchange with some interest, now leaned forward to ask his own questions. "Yeah, who's the new steel from, Zee-Vah?"

She slanted hard brown eyes at him. "None of your damn business, DiNozzo."

The snarl startled both NCIS agents, making them lean back on reflex. Her good mood gone, Ziva returned her sullen glare to the knife she was cleaning with almost religious attention.

But Tony was like a dog with a bone - he had to keep at it. However, he was also subtle. So he merely sat, and watched, and waited for the opportune moment to ask again.

As he'd predicted, it was only a matter of time before Ziva got up and walked over to him. What he hadn't expected was her grabbing his tie and dragging him towards the restroom like a naughty dog who wouldn't heel at her command. Tony had to fight so as to keep breathing while trying to keep up with his deceptively strong partner.

The restroom was only occupied by two agents, who quickly cleared out; those in the know knew that Tony and Ziva's "conference room" was the men's restroom when the elevator was in use. Ziva dragged her partner to the sinks and pulled his tie down so that they were eye level. "Now, what would you like to ask me about my knife, Agent DiNozzo?" she asked in a sultry tone.

"Just wondering where your head's at, Agent David," he replied back huskily. "Never thought you'd bring it into the office."

One eyebrow arched at him. "You cannot expect people not to know that we are involved simply because we flirt."

"They're investigators, Ziva, they're supposed to investigate. Bringing in your birthday present - which, I may add, cost a pretty penny to have the handle engraved - is like lighting up a flare and screaming bloody murder in a crowded mall."

"Why should I not flaunt my knife? I like it." Ziva sidled up closer, pressing her body against his with a minxish smile. "And I like who gave it to me."

"Oh?" Tony's eyes darkened at her words and actions. "How much do you like?"

"Would you like a demonstration?"

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><p>"Damn, I really feel for DiNozzo," said one agent as he unzipped his fly and dropped trow in front of the urinal.<p>

"How's that?" asked his friend.

"When David pulled him out of here, he looked like he'd been knocked senseless," said the first agent. "Had that stupid grin of a guy sporting a concussion on his face."

The second guy nodded in sympathy. "Know where they went?"

"Headed down to autopsy, last I checked."

A wince accompanied a sympathetic sigh. "Hope Dr. Mallard's down there to stop her from killing him."

The first agent shook his head. "Nope, he's out to lunch."

"Ouch. That poor bastard is dead meat."

"Isn't this the tenth time this month?"

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><p><strong>. Little bit of office romance there, if you can catch it.<strong>

**Review please!**


	38. Flexibility

**Disclaimer: I don't own _NCIS._**

**Prompt #37: Flexibility - He'd always known she was a fit and acrobatic woman.**

**Words: 471**

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><p>Tony's eyes had never been this close to popping out in his life.<p>

He couldn't believe how frickin' supple his partner's limbs were. He'd always had a notion, but seeing her actually proving it just shattered all of his previous expectations.

She was slithering through a maze of water pipes in the utility room they'd been unceremoniously shoved into, trying to reach the circuit board that was situated on the far wall. Slither was the correct word, in every sense - since there was very little maneuvering room in the pipes, Ziva had stripped off her jacket and blouse, leaving on a tight black camisole over her bra that left absolutely nothing to her partner's imagination.

Fit. Lean. Acrobatic. None of those words did her justice.

"Tony!"

His eyes snapped away from watching her contort through the spaces of pipes to latch onto her eyes. "Yeah?"

"Perhaps you can try finding your own way out of those handcuffs without watching me attempt to get us out of here?" she said.

Tony gave the pipe he was cuffed to a dirty look. "I'd rather watch you act like a circus contortionist, honestly."

"Tony!" she snapped, giving him an exasperated look. "We do not have time for this!"

"All right! Geez, chill out." Tearing his eyes away from her ass, Tony fell to fiddling with the cuffs that kept him tethered to the wall. "Lucky I learned to pick police cuffs after that one case with the security guard. Remember that?"

"Which one was that?" she grunted, sounding stuck and out of breath and oh so sexy to his ears.

"The one who called you a dirtbag and ma'am," he supplied, trying _not _to let that accent turn him on like a flamethrower.

"Oh yes, him." Another grunt escaped Ziva's lips as she bent backwards and pulled herself through a pair of pipes that made a square barely big enough for her hips to fit through. "He was quite the kiss-ass once my gun was over his heart."

Tony chuckled. "Of course you get kiss-ass right."

"Does that emasculate you?" she teased.

"No way. It takes much, much more than your sexy accent and ninja-moves to emasculate me," he said with assurance gained from working with her for years. "Though I must admit, watching you maneuver through a jungle gym like this is very, very - "

A sharp "DiNozzo!" cut him off as effectively as a headslap. Cowed, he returned to trying to free himself from his cuffs. Unbeknownst to him, Ziva had her own little smile as she continued her Twister-esque climb towards the circuit box.

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><p><strong>For some reason, my mind choked up this scenario without any background explaination. Enjoy!<strong>

**Review please! We'd passed 200 a while back *late confetti* so keep them coming!**


	39. Skirt

**Disclaimer: I don't own _NCIS._**

**Prompt #38: Skirt - Tony could barely concentrate the day she walked into the office wearing a black number that made her legs look amazing.**

**Words: 535**

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><p><em>Oh, you can't be serious. That little minx.<em>

Those were Tony's thoughts when the Israeli agent sauntered into the bullpen wearing a black dress that left almost nothing to his imagination. Apparently she'd been called in during a date with CI-Ray, because that was easily one of the sexiest things Tony had never seen her in off the clock.

"Well hey there," he managed to choke out, sounding very much like himself and not like the blindsided fool he felt like. "Good date?"

"He took me to a charity ball," she said, kicking off the black stiletto heels she was wearing. She glanced at Tony's tee-shirt and sweatpants almost enviously. "You look comfortable."

He leaned back in his chair and put his sneaker-shod feet on his desk. "Very," he conceded. "I was asleep when the Boss sounded the horn. Threw on clean stuff that was available."

"I was trying to get a decent drink," Ziva said. "Ray insisted on buying me cosmopolitans."

"But you hate cosmos," Tony said, frowning in confusion.

"Hence why I was getting another drink." She sounded disgusted as she sat on the edge of her desk and crossed her legs, making the skirt of her dress hike up her thighs just a little more. "Ow, my feet hurt. I did not have time to break in these shoes."

The sight of a barefoot Ziva in a hotter-than-hell black dress across the bullpen from him was almost as unreal as his sexual fantasy vision of Catholic schoolgirl Kate. But it was better and worse for different reasons. Better because it was real. Worse because it wasn't because of him.

But mostly better. Lots, lots better.

Gibbs chose that moment to walk in like the force of nature he was, shedding his suit jacket and Marine cover. "Have a nice night, Agent David?" he asked, grabbing his gun and badge from his desk drawer.

She hopped off her desk and rummaged for the pair of work flats she kept in her bottom drawer. "Could've been better, Gibbs."

"How's this for better? Dead Petty Officer in Quantico. DiNozzo!"

"Yes Boss!" yelled Tony, jumping to his feet and catching the thrown car keys.

"Gas up the van. McGee's meeting us there with Abby."

"McLucky have a date with our dark princess?" Tony teased.

"Didn't ask, and he didn't say."

Tony started to pass Ziva's desk, then turned to see her shiver slightly. Striding back to his chair, he grabbed his black winter jacket and tossed it to her. "Here. Just until you get a change of clothes."

She looked at him, half surprised, half grateful, and slid her arms into the sleeves. "Thank you, Tony. That is very nice of you."

"Don't mention it." _We're going to an active crime scene and you're dressed like a femme fatale? No way am I letting you show more skin than a Playboy bunny_.

He was, after all, a very considerate partner.

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><p><strong>Review please!<strong>


	40. Paris

**Disclaimer: I don't own _NCIS._**

**Prompt #39: Paris - Tired of the vagueness, McGee decided to investigate the mystery that was their trip to the City of Lights.**

**Words: 758**

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><p><em>If nobody's going to give me a clear answer<em>, McGee thought, _then I'm going to have to find out myself_.

McGee knew he'd have a setback, so it wasn't too much of a failure. If tech couldn't supply the answer, he'd have to ask the source. Covertly, of course.

Tony stuck by his tale - he took the couch, being raised a gentleman and all that crap. McGee didn't think he'd adjust his story. And Ziva was now backing up that story, which McGee had expected to happen. So no luck there.

But what neither of his coworkers knew was that he had another way of finding out their little secret.

Logging into his system, the agent applied his considerable talents into hacking the mainframe of a certain Parisian hotel. The hotel where, months before, two agents of his acquaintence stayed while picking up a witness for a previous case.

Something about the way Tony has casually admitted to sleeping on the couch...it wasn't very Tony. He would have whined more about his bad back. But he hadn't. In fact, he had been almost careless about the information. A little too careless.

With curiosity and a good two hours before Gibbs could possibly need him, McGee decided to solve this nagging mystery. His fingers flew across the keyboard, inputting line after line of code and passcode, hacking and backhacking and dodging every trap and firewall in his path until he found what he was looking for. The security cameras of that self-same hotel.

He watched them enter. He watched them leave the hotel to do their sightseeing. He watched them come back. He cycled through the cameras to watch them go into their room. Their _single _room.

But he still had no answer. However, McGee had trained with the best interrogators for the last couple of years. He'd learned a great many tactics.

Like the ability to lie convincingly. As stated by Rule #7: Always be specific when you lie.

And with a few well-chosen stills, McGee was sure he could spin his story well.

* * *

><p>"Soooo...Paris?"<p>

Ziva gave a slight, almost imperceptible twitch of the head, but her eyes never rose from the report she was writing. "What about it, McGee?"

"Was it a nice city?"

She seemed to relax a tad when his question went nowhere near Tony. "Yes, it was. I like Paris."

"Saw Tony's pictures. Looked really pretty."

"It was," she repeated.

McGee leaned forward at his desk, resting his chin on his steepled fingers. "Anything interesting there?"

"The Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, the Arc de Triomphe..." Ziva rattled off several tourist locations without missing a beat. Clearly she wanted to keep his interest in the sights of Paris. And it would have worked, had McGee not expected such a diversion.

_Better now then later, _he thought. Interrupting midstream, he asked innocently, "So who got the couch?"

"I did," she replied instantly, still in her flow.

A smug smile tugged at his lips. "Really?" he said. "Because I recall Tony saying that _he_ took the couch."

"He did," Ziva corrected without batting an eye. "I grabbed a bat nap on the couch though, earlier in the day."

McGee pretended to think over her response. "Hmm, well, you both did look very refreshed when you left to pick up the witness. But the couch didn't look slept on..." He purposely left his sentence dangling, waiting to see if she rose to take his bait.

To his eternal surprise, she flicked her eyes over at him, a trace of surprise in their depths. It was as if she'd lit a neon sign that said BUSTED right over her desk. "You went into the hotel's security cameras?" she asked without really asking. She knew his talent as well as anybody.

"Yup." No need to elaborate how much he'd actually seen. "So, care to revise your statement?"

For a moment, it looked like she would. But then Ziva clamed up when Gibbs entered the bullpen with the familiar announcement of a body dropping.

McGee didn't care. He had his answer.

_Can't wait to tell Abby_.

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><p><strong>Review please!<strong>


	41. Designer

**Disclaimer: I don't own _NCIS._**

**Prompt #40: Designer - His suits were always clean-cut and made him look very impressive. A fact Ziva deeply appreciated when she had to cross a crowded room of good-looking wealthy men and act like he was the only one rich enough for her.**

**Words: 1,050**

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><p>Ziva took a sip of water as she cooled down in her dressing room. Contrary to her previous worries, she'd had no problem getting up and singing tonight. <em>I guess that bombing in Morocco is truly behind me now, <em>she thought with some relief. _It would have been embarrassing to have frozen on stage. Not to mention it would have blown my cover_.

There was a knock at her door before one of Ashton's bouncers poked his head in. "Mister Ashton would like you to join him for dinner."

"I thought he was conducting business tonight," she said, pulling on her black shrug.

The bouncer shrugged. "He said that he wants you to join him for dinner."

"All right then."

Ziva rose and followed the burly man to the floor of the underground casino. Having been working undercover as one of Michael Ashton's singers for a little over a month, she had learned quickly to not keep Ashton waiting. He was a very charismatic man whose charm was easily matched by his ruthless streak. He said "jump" and expected people to ask "How high?" and he kept his girls on a firmly short leash. One girl had already been "fired" (Ziva read between the lines - and a local paper - to understand that she'd been killed) for not limiting her attention to Ashton.

Which is where Ziva came in - the dead girl had been the daughter of a Navy captain with considerable clout. To take down Ashton, Ziva had been sent in to sniff out any useful information on his operations. But after a month, she only had a vague lead to his next operation, a shipment of guns he was buying off a wealthy arms dealer tonight.

She blinked away those dark thoughts when they approached Ashton's table. As her eyes swept over his guest, Ziva was quietly impressed by the well-tailored designer suit, expensive cufflinks, and overall look of wealth and power that this man wore as easily as his suit. When she saw his face, however, she had to steel every fiber in her body to not show surprise at recognizing him.

_What is Tony doing here?_

"Tali, darling," Ashton said, taking her hand in a possessively tight grip. "Please say hello to Mr. Bower. Mr. Bower, this is my newest gem, Tali."

"Pleasure to meet you," Ziva said, extending her free hand to him.

Tony rose, the picture of chivalry, and took her hand. "The pleasure is mine," he said, bringing her knuckles to his lips in an almost-brush kiss. "Your girl sings like a dream, Ashton. Wherever did you find her?"

Ziva smiled coyly at him. "Michael is giving me a shot at a recording deal," she said, sitting beside Ashton and taking a sip of wine. "And who are you?"

"A businessman," was Tony's vague reply, and that was the end of their conversation.

Playing the uninterested trophy girl, Ziva pretended to be absorbed in her meal while Ashton and Tony talked about business. But she listened carefully, her Mossad-trained ears picking up on dates and times that they thought she wouldn't hear. Compiling them into a timeline took a few extra seconds, and soon Ziva had something to report to her contact.

Imagine her surprise when Tony's voice suddenly interrupted her thoughts. "Ashton, I wonder if I could have a dance with your lovely lady. She looks bored, and this is a very invigorating song."

Ziva looked up at him. "You can tango?" she asked, more as Ziva than as Tali.

"Of course." Extending his hand to her, Tony glanced at Ashton again. "If I'm not overstepping my boundaries."

"On the contrary," Ashton said with his own smile, "I have pressing business with a man who is trying to cheat me at the roulette table. Tali, why don't you entertain Mr. Bower until I get back?"

She put a charming smile on her face, slipped off her shrug, and took Tony's hand. "Please lead the way, sir," she said to him.

Once on the dance floor, the orchestra's melody settled into something familiar. "Not many people know the Argentine Tango, Tony," she said, putting on hand on his shoulder and the other in his hand.

"I'm not many people," he replied cheekily. They danced in sync, perfectly attuned to the other's rhythm and tempo. "Now, _Tali_, mind telling me why, of all the underground casinos in all the world, I had to walk into yours?"

She grinned at the obviously flipped line from _Casablanca_. "I asked for some help. Obviously they figured you were man enough for the job."

"Nice try, but that won't work here," Tony chuckled. Pulling her close, he leaned her down in a low dip. "Got anything?"

Her leg hooked around his thigh. "Not anything more than what you just discussed. He doesn't talk business with his girls."

"What about Melanie Rassi?" he asked, righting them both quickly. "Anything about her?"

"The other girls know she died, but nobody's talking. They're afraid, Tony." He pulled her close again, and Ziva leaned closer to whisper in his ear, "Afraid of what Ashton will do to them if they ask the wrong questions."

Their eyes met, and they had one of their silent conversation. Too quick to catch, it ended almost as soon as it began. The tango ended a minute later, and Tony and Ziva parted.

She had lifted his spare cell phone, set to silent and securely encrypted.

He had stuck the GPS tracker to her bracelet, undetectable and pinging her location.

"Stay in touch," she whispered.

"Stay local," he replied softly.

When Ashton returned from his "pressing business" Tony and Ziva were gone, and Mr. Bower and Tali were left.

He had no clue what fresh hell was about to rain down on his business thanks to them.

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><p><strong>Continuation to #33 "Voice" with a nod to DWTS (I imagined the Argentine Tango music and sequence to be about the same as Jennifer Gray's, if you want to Youtube for the visual).<strong>

**Review please!**


	42. Holiday

**Disclaimer: I don't own _NCIS _or episode 6x05 "Nine Lives."**

**Prompt #41: Holiday - ****When he'd told her Nisiya Tova, for a brief moment, they'd both wished he was coming with her.**

**Words: 743**

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><p>"Nisiya Tova."<p>

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><p>Two words in Hebrew. It took you one week to learn how to say it right. It took you three days to work up the courage to say them.<p>

It only takes five minutes for you to regret saying anything.

You can see it in her eyes. The pleasant surprise, then the look of one touched by your actions.

You can see it in her smile. The smile that ghosts across her lips, as if unsure if it should really be seen.

You look down at your desk, trying to pass it off as nonchalantly as possible. You're Tony DiNozzo. This shouldn't faze you in the slightest.

But it's Ziva, and so it does faze you. More than slightly.

These are untested waters. She's started to become more than just a partner. Three years, and you're more involved in her personal life than you'd been in Kate's. You're experiencing a strange curiosity in her vacation back to Tel Aviv. You're starting to get jealous of unknown men in pictures. You're feeling alone when she talks about being gone for a long time.

You're finding yourself yearning to go with her.

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><p>He says it, and you look up in surprise.<p>

You almost smile, but think better of it. He's looked down again, and if you made mention of it, he'd blow it off.

You had to admire him, though. He must have practiced that a while to make it sound just right. And he must have waited a long time to make sure it was said in such a casual way so as not to embarrass him and you.

You glance off to the side, unsure of how to respond. You're Ziva David. You're not supposed to be flustered by something like this.

But it's Tony, and so it does fluster you. Very much so.

This is new territory. He's becoming more than just your partner. Three years as a liaison, and you've found yourself becoming attached to him. You're worrying about his well-being. You welcoming his corrections about your mangling of American idioms. You're sad about not seeing him for the span of time you'll be back home in Tel Aviv.

You find yourself wanting him to come with you.

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><p>She says, "See you next week," and you look up to give a little smile and a nod. Quickly you look back down before you get caught staring at her.<p>

It's getting really bad. She's always been beautiful, but you've kept the staring down to a minimum because she has the ability to remove your eyeballs with a spoon.

Recently, however, you're risking blindness a lot more. Probably because of your time as Agent Afloat, when all you had were those three pictures to remember her by. You want to watch the real thing more, to remember every little thing about your sexy ninja partner. You don't want her to leave again.

To leave you again.

The elevator dings, and your eyes are rebelliously drawn to the door in time to see Ziva enter the elevator. Another ding echoes, the doors slide shut -

And she's gone.

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><p>You say your farewell, and he gives a little, "Yeah," before returning to his paperwork. You head for the elevator in a dignified manner before you lose it.<p>

It's starting to worsen. He's been sweet before, but now it's becoming a habit. Even worse, you find yourself hoping that this is one of his habits that you can continue to expect.

Maybe it's because of your seperation. You'd missed the team, sure, but after three years with DiNozzo-brand charm, none of your Mossad partners could really measure up. There's just something about him that makes you feel more than just his partner. You don't want to feel lonely again.

To lose him again.

The elevator doors open, and you feel a slight prickle dance across your shoulders, as if someone's staring at your back. You step inside and press the button -

It doesn't disappear.

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><p>Next week can't come fast enough.<p>

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><p><strong>This was a different way for me to write, but I like it. <strong>**Review please, we're hitting the home stretch, people!**

**9...**


	43. Bikini

**Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS.**

**Prompt #42: Bikini - Those three photos were the only thing that kept his life as Agent Afloat any type of sane.**

**Words: 673**

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><p>Tony DiNozzo was never a sentimental man. Why would he be? His father went through so many wives it was like he was swapping trading cards, and the goods went almost as quickly. Tony didn't grow attached to things. It wasn't healthy in his home life to do so.<p>

He did like the little things he had acquired over the years. Knickknacks, just little trinkets of his. His Mighty Mouse stapler was one such item.

But there were three photos. The only things keeping his grip to sanity firm, and thanks to some hazing aboard the _USS Seahawk_, they were gone.

First, Tony tore his bunk apart in search of those photos. He'd hidden them away in anticipation of the salivating animals aboard the _Seahawk_, and he merely thought that he'd forgotten where he'd put them. But after two hours, he came to grips with the fact that they were gone.

_NOW _he was royally pissed off. And when a well-trained NCIS agent was pissed, somebody would go down hard.

He got the reasoning. He was the newbie, and the salt-sprayed crew wanted to have some fun at his expense. After seven months at sea, they had a new toy in the form of their new Agent Afloat.

However, Tony had just been ripped from the team he loved, away from the boss he respected, the Probie he was proud to pester, and the partner he was growing more and more attached to. All at the whim of the new Director of NCIS, Leon Vance, with no reason behind the seperation at all.

And now some of the more troublesome seamen had taken his only tie to that team. His pictures of Ziva, looking honey-skinned and sexy as hell in a black bikini. They were his, the only copies of the pictures left from her purge.

They underestimated the amount of attachment said Agent Afloat had for the photos they'd taken.

Whoever took them was going to pay _dearly_.

* * *

><p>After scouring the ship from bow to stern, Tony had a good news-good news-bad news scenario.<p>

Good news - he found the pictures. Good news part two - they were not defaced with black marker, so there weren't any immature idiots in on this prank.

Bad news - they'd been blown up to poster size and tacked on the inside of every head, showcasing his scantily-clad partner for the whole damn crew to see. His only thought was _Damn they're so lucky Ziva's not here to see this. She'd hurt somebody and cut off their manhood._

"Something wrong, sir?"

_Then again, she'd also make them wet their pants. _Tony felt his dangerous smile grow as he turned to face the quartet of sailors who were snickering at his plight. The snickers died down when they saw his smile, slowly being replaced by the look of deer staring helplessly at the headlights of an incoming eighteen-wheeler. Faces paled when they realized just how deep in shit they were.

"Seamen," said Tony evenly, imploying the Gibbs technique he'd named Icy Father-Voice of Doom. "As a matter of fact, there is something wrong. Would you know anything about the poster-sized pictures that decorate the doors of each of the ship's heads?"

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><p>Of course he was reprimanded by the skipper. You can't just threaten four seamen with castration with a needle and a pair of pliers. It's apparently not very sporting.<p>

After the incident, the pictures of Ziva were tacked up on his corkboard in clear view. The invisible threat still hung over them, refreshed by the glare Tony shot at any and all seamen who stared too long at her.

_Touch my girl again, and your ass is grass_.

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><p><strong>Just a little something that I thought could happen during Tony's time away.<strong>

**Review please!**

**8...**


	44. Matchmaker

**Disclaimer: I don't own _NCIS._**

**Prompt #43: Matchmaker - ****Abby giggled as she hacked into the elevator controls and triggered the stop function. "If they don't at least kiss in there, I'll owe you twenty bucks," she said to an aghast McGee.**

**Words: 849**

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><p>"What's the matter with them now?" asked Abby with an exasperated sigh.<p>

"Don't ask, Abby," McGee warned. "They've been twitchy all week. This case has got them both on edge."

Abby gave a wicked little smile. "Hey, where are they right now?"

"They were packing up to head home when I came down to see you. I think they're heading for the elevator now." A look of confusion, then realization, bloomed into abject terror. "Abigail Sciuto, don't even consider doing what I think you're considering."

She pouted. "Tim, they're stuck. They're stuck in the friend zone. We, as their friends and coworkers and family, must ensure that they get out of the friend zone and into the dating zone ASAP."

"Don't take the moral high ground. You just want to play matchmaker."

"So?"

Knowing when he was beat, McGee sighed heavily. "Fine. Just don't ever let them know it was us."

* * *

><p>"I'm gonna kill McGee," grumbled Tony as he slapped the emergency stop switch a couple times.<p>

"He does not have the stones to do this alone," Ziva said, trying to slip her fingers into the crack of the elevator door. "When we get out, I am going after Abby. You are welcome to join me."

The Senior Agent made a snorting noise in his nose. "You kidding me? We won't get five steps of her before Gibbs stepped in front of her. You're welcome to take him out first. I'll be cowering behind my desk."

Scowling, Ziva refocused on trying to pry the doors open. They didn't give at all, which only made her madder. With a last huff she gave up and slumped against the side of the elevator. "It is impossible. We are trapped here."

"I gotta give Abby props, she can set a good trap," Tony said grudgingly. "Never thought she'd do it, though."

"What do you expect? Obviously she expects some firecrackers to happen."

"Fireworks, Zee-Vah," he corrected absently. "I don't get why. We're just friends."

"Perhaps she is bored," Ziva guessed. "She has done crazier things." Dark brown eyes looked up at her partner. "Perhaps she is retaliating for something. Have you irritated her lately?

Tony scoffed again. "Please. I like my personal life as uncomplicated as possible. So no, I haven't irritated the Princess Goth. What about you?"

"No, I have not pissed Abby off." The former assassin crossed her arms and huffed in anger. "She's being a matchmaker again."

"Again?" echoed Tony.

"You cannot tell me that you did not notice all the attempts to get us alone today."

When the Senior Agent thought over the course of the day, Ziva could see the way his eyes widened as he realized the truth in her words. "That little - It's Valentine's Day, that's why. She wants us to hook up on Valentine's Day."

"And why is that?" Ziva prodded, at a loss to understand why.

"The pool."

She frowned. "She wants to go swimming?"

"No, the betting pool on whether we've hooked up or not. She wants to win it." Tony scrunched up his face in annoyance. "Must be good money if she's resorting to sabotage."

"Why is the business of everyone in the building if we've slept together or not?" Ziva asked, throwing up her hands in exasperation. Catching his gaze she lifted her index finger in warning. "Don't even start, DiNozzo. We talked about this."

"Why not just put the rumors to rest?"

"We talked about it," she repeated. "And we decided not to. Need I mention Rule 12?"

He stepped closer to her, soulful eyes meeting hers with enough heat to make her heart speed up painfully. "Is that really your only defense?" he asked softly.

"No," Ziva whispered. "But I do respect Gibbs, and I will not willfully disobey him. And I know you will not do so either."

A wry smile twisted Tony's lips. "But it would be - "

Her smile was somewhat wistful and teasing at the same time. "Perhaps," she agreed.

"We should at least give Abby something to go to the bank with," he said.

"Oh, very well." Grabbing his tie, Ziva yanked him down to press her lips against his.

* * *

><p>"Yes!" Abby crowed, punching the air in triumph. "McGee, we have lip-lock!"<p>

He shook his head with a dumbfounded look on his face. "I never thought they'd actually do it."

"Told you!" She continued with her victory dance, leaving McGee to re-engage the elevator and release their coworkers.

They were so distracted that they never saw the dirty looks that Tony and Ziva shot the camera before they exited the elevator.

* * *

><p><strong>Hahaha, love matchmaker!Abby dearly!<strong>

**Review please!**

**7...**


	45. Soulmates

**Disclaimer: I don't own _NCIS._**

**Prompt** **#44: Soulmates - She had asked, and he'd blown her off. But then he had to think about why she had asked in the first place.**

**Words: 458**

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><p>He is trying to mess with the vending machine again. It will not take his bill. He is too impatient about certain things. I trade bills with him, he gets his treat, and then I get one with his wrinkled bill.<p>

Sayda's words are staying with me. "_Have you found your soulmate yet?_" When I hesitated to respond, she touched my hand and said that when I met him, I would know.

I did not hesitate because I had not. I hesitated because I had the suspicion that I already had.

My problem is, I do not believe he shares the sentiment. Even if he did, he would not tell me. Tony does not like being serious.

That does not mean I cannot see if he is in a serious mood.

"Do you ever think about soulmates?" I ask him, making it sound like a throwaway question.

* * *

><p>As soon as she spoke those words, I know we're entering dangerous territory. Ziva has been acting strange ever since she interviewed Sayda Zuri earlier. Moody, distracted, and worst of all, quiet.<p>

Quiet Ziva means that she's planning something. Moody Ziva means something's vexing her. Distracted Ziva is just distracted.

I have to answer, but I have to be careful about how I go about it. She doesn't like lies, but I don't have a good truth for her.

So, without a good honest answer, I revert to my fallback - flippant sarcasm.

"They were on Decca, right? Big hit, mid-'70s? Sort of a disco thing? Sing a few bars, I'll get it," I say, not looking at her.

* * *

><p>I should have known he would not take it seriously. Tony was forever playing the dope. I was foolish for expecting a real answer from him.<p>

"...You'll never get it."

I cannot help injecting the note of disappointment as I reply. I had thought he would be serious with me.

But Tony will be Tony, and this is not the time for disappointment.

We have a case to solve.

* * *

><p>I wonder why she asked me something like that. Feels like it came from nowhere, but it's also like she's been thinking about it for a while now. And in true DiNozzo fashion, I made light of it rather than confront it.<p>

So I watch her go, and I know I've screwed up. Yet again.

But I can't just go and apologize. There's no time.

We have a case to solve.

* * *

><p><strong>Another short ficlet, done to episode 5x08 "Designated Target."<strong>

**Review please!**

**6...**


	46. AIM

**Disclaimer: I don't own _NCIS._**

**Prompt #45: AIM - He was mildly surprised when he saw the screen name pop up on his screen.**

**Words: 401**

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><p><em>VSADiNozzo<em> is idle.

_Ninja_Investigator_ is online.

_Ninja_Investigator_ sent a message: Hi!

_VSADiNozzo_ is online.

_VSADiNozzo_: Hey Z! C that ur using the screen name I gav u! Sup?

_Ninja_Investigator_: Huh? What are you typing?

_VSADiNozzo_: it's IM language, Ziva. Assimilate already.

_Ninja_Investigator_: What does VSA stand for?

_VSADiNozzo_: Very Special Agent. What're u doing online this late?

_Ninja_Investigator_: Couldn't sleep. What's your reason?

_VSADiNozzo_: Just chatting with som friends.

_Ninja_Investigator_: Not ogreing around?

_VSADiNozzo_: I think u want trolling, my ninja. And no, I'm not.

_Ninja_Investigator_: U are home alone on a Saturday nite? This does not sound like u.

_VSADiNozzo_: Nice use of IM speak, Ziva!

_Ninja_Investigator_: U did not answer me, Tony.

_VSADiNozzo_: ...

_VSADiNozzo_: ...

_VSADiNozzo_: Ok, so I'm not out and about. So wat?

_Ninja_Investigator_: U seem...lonely. R u?

_VSADiNozzo_: Just watchin a movie.

_Ninja_Investigator_: O? Which one?

_VSADiNozzo_: James Bond.

_Ninja_Investigator_: There r many of them, Tony.

_VSADiNozzo_: Fine. Die Another Day.

_Ninja_Investigator_: Which Bond was that?

_VSADiNozzo_: Brosnan.

_Ninja_Investigator_: I like him as Bond. May I join u?

_VSADiNozzo_: Sure. Bring pizza and beer? Im out.

_Ninja_Investigator_: Hav no money on me.

_VSADiNozzo_: Np. U call, I'll pickup.

_Ninja_Investigator_: Np?

_VSADiNozzo_: No problem. C'mon Ziva! :)

_Ninja_Investigator_: ;) very well.

_VSADiNozzo_: Wow, an emote. Makin progress, my ninja!

_Ninja_Investigator_: Imma fast learner, Tony. ;)

_VSADiNozzo_: 0_0 that's what she said...

_Ninja_Investigator_: Huh?

_VSADiNozzo_: Nvm, Z.

* * *

><p><strong>*giggle giggle giggle*<strong>

**Review please!**

**5...**


	47. Gold

**Disclaimer: I don't own _NCIS _or else the TIVA would be happening NOW.**

**Prompt #46: Gold - Shakespeare had probably meant it when he warned about all that glitters, but she didn't glitter - she shone. So it didn't count.**

**Words: 1,081**

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><p>Before he fell in love, Tony was incorrigible with women. His detective buddies would joke about the notches in his bedpost. If she was female, stunning, and above the legal age, he'd go for it like a magpie after a sparklie. And just like a magpie, once the sparklie lost its luster, he moved on for the next shiny object.<p>

But no matter how many conquests he had, he never lost respect for the female race in general. The call girls he picked up always spread the word on the streets - if you do get caught, get caught by that gentleman detective Tony DiNozzo.

Tony had only been in love with three women. Three women, from three different points in his life, each leaving her own unique imprint on his heart and soul.

First was Wendy, who taught him about rejection. He'd come so close - so damn close - to putting a ring on her finger. She was his first love, he'd dare to say. But she up and left him hanging like a shmuck. Needless to say, it dealt a cruel blow to his ego. It took a long, long time for him to even consider trusting a woman past his womanizing shell.

For the brief moment she re-entered his life, she offered their dream, and he said no.

Next came Jeanne, who taught him about heartbreak. He'd been so close - too damn close - in his undercover operation. She was practically perfect, but in that way that made him want to keep coming back for more. He'd been the one to break it, revealing a truth he wished dearly to be a lie. He'd torn out his own heart for the sake of an op. And she just walked away, leaving nothing but a card that he later burned.

For the little time she returned to his life, she asked if any of it had been real, and he said no.

Then there was EJ, who taught him about choices. He'd gotten better - just a tad bit better - at being a real man, who wanted a semi-real relationship. She was professional, but receptive to his charms. They managed to keep it out of the workplace well enough. When Jonas Cobb, aka the Port-to-Port Killer, struck at them, the fallout had her choose to leave NCIS. Then she disappeared, not even leaving him an idea if she was alive or dead.

When she finally resurfaced, she asked if they could try again, and he said no.

* * *

><p>But hold up, you say. Aren't we forgetting someone else? Another woman who's changed Tony irreperably, and undoubtedly for the better?<p>

Ziva.

Ziva was special from the beginning. For one, Tony wasn't in love with her. Not even in lust with her. Not at first. She was a pretty damn scary Mossad operative who may or may not have been involved with his recent ex-partner's murder. Instant libido killer.

When Ari was caught, she stayed, giving him a front-row seat at the Wonderful World of Assassin Ziva every single day. She puzzled him, threw him off his centre, and twisted him up inside and out with her odd little quirks. Slowly her position in his life shifted from uneasy partner to friend. That friendship strengthened the longer they were together. They confided in each other. They saved each other's butts more than either was comfortable admitting to.

The first time he figured out that his feelings could possibly run deeper for Ziva, Tony had done his absolute best to hide the fact. Wendy had made him cautious about diving into a new relationship. So he fell back on what he did with Kate - sexual-charged, sibling rivalry-esque banter, plain and true. If he was juvenile enough, for long enough, maybe she wouldn't affect him so much.

Yup, that backfired like a clogged rifle. Every time she went undercover without him, he sat tense as a coiled spring. When she "died" in Somalia, a part of him died as well. When she was dating CI-Ray, he found himself hating every smile and every tear that Ray caused with his words and absences.

Not like he hadn't caused her grief too. Her expression when she found out his undercover op continued to cut into his heart. Lies never sat well with her, and Tony knew she'd been really concerned about his health every time the hospital number came up on his phone. When she found out about him and EJ, it was like watching a door close and window shutters slam shut.

But to his delight, it looked as if Ziva was beginning to like him as well. When Wendy showed up, Ziva was more than just a little curious about his near-marriage. When Jeanne came back, angry for revenge for the murder of her father, it was Ziva who told him to man up and tell the doctor exactly what she needed to hear. When EJ was missing and he had no recollection of how or why, Ziva was with him every step of the way. She never left him out to dry.

Unlike some other women he could mention.

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><p>Tony had only been in love with three women in his entire life. That statement remains true. Three women, each with her own leaving lesson to the Senior Agent. They molded Tony DiNozzo, changed him, made him a better man, in his own personal opinion. His inner magpie huddled in its bare nest after each loss, feathers ruffled defensively as he tried to live without the sparklie.<p>

Wendy, Jeanne, and EJ had been central to his life at one point or another. But once it was over, they drifted apart, leaving Tony with a broken heart and another hard-earned lesson. He fell in love three times, and then fallen out of love three times.

But Ziva was different. She always had been there. Steady as gold, and just as valuable. Tony's magpie instincts may have diminished, but they hadn't disappeared entirely. This sparklie would always keep his interest.

He'd had her for so long, he forgot what it was like living without her. And he didn't want to risk remembering.

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><p><strong>This one was tricky, but I like it.<strong>

**Review please! Let's pass 300!**

**4...**


	48. Translation

**Disclaimer: I don't own _NCIS._**

**Prompt #47: Translation - He'd studied long and hard, practiced endlessly, and had to muster a lot of courage before he had the guts (and the accent) to finally tell her, "Ani ohev otach."**

**Words: 1,104**

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><p>Something was off about Tony.<p>

He'd been distracted for the past couple weeks, slow on the uptake for jokes and generally being, well, very un-DiNozzo. She'd catch him staring at her, but when she turned to meet his gaze, it'd drop to his paperwork.

He was being evasive about something, but Ziva just couldn't put her finger on what it could be. He wasn't about to share his reasons either, so the Israeli agent was forced to employ other forms of investigation.

First she went to Abby. If anyone had a hard line into the gossip of NCIS, it was Abby. But for once, the Goth princess had no idea what was wrong with Tony. "Maybe he's dating someone?" she guessed.

But Ziva knew his dating tells, and he wasn't showing any of them.

McGee was likewise unhelpful. In fact, the younger agent didn't seem to think that Tony was being any different than usual. "Maybe you're overthinking this," he'd said to Ziva. "He's probably just gearing up for a prank."

But Ziva knew his pre-prank attitudes, and his behavior now fitted none of them.

Next was Ducky, who always at least had a good guess about things that were happening. But like her other coworkers, he had no new insights into Tony's strangeness. "Perhaps he's wrestling with some sort to personal problem," he offered at length.

But Ziva knew how Tony hid his problems, and he wasn't doing that now.

So finally, after much deliberation, Ziva decided to go to the one person who knew Tony well enough to be able to tell her exactly what the hell was happening with her partner.

_I wonder how Gibbs will feel if I show up at his house uninvited_.

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><p>"You gonna come down or what, David?"<p>

Caught peeking, Ziva sheepishly descended the basement stairs. "What are you building now?" she asked, not recognizing the wooden structure on the bench that used to support the boats he used to build.

"Building a dollhouse for Amira," he replied. "Trying to, anyway."

"I am sure she will adore it." Steeling herself, Ziva asked, "Gibbs, have you noticed Tony acting...different...than usual?"

The silver-haired agent shot her an exasperated look. "Do I look like his babysitter?"

"No, but I cannot understand him lately. He is being...secretive." Frustrated that she couldn't explain without sounding like a nagging wife, she sighed. "He does not confide in me, Gibbs. He is not being his usual self. You have noticed, yes?"

Gibbs sighed heavily. "Ziver," he said patiently, "you should really ask DiNozzo what his problem is. If he even has one, that is."

"What do you mean?"

"Are you an investigator or not? Go figure it out yourself," he snapped, pointing at her with his screwdriver. "You won't get any answers down here. Now go find out what's making him act this way, fix it if it needs fixing, and get over it."

Ziva scowled. "And what if he does not tell me, Gibbs?" she shot back. "What if he will not talk to me?"

"I find smacking the back of his head works to loosen his tongue."

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><p>Knocking on her partner's apartment door, Ziva tried to keep herself calm. She'd spent the entire trip from Gibbs' basemen psyching herself out, and now her temper was flaring.<p>

Tony opened the door with an apprehensive look on his face. "Hey Zi. What's up?"

"The light fixture," she replied sharply, pushing past him to enter the apartment. "We need to talk."

"Sure, come in, make yourself at home," he said sarcastically, shutting the door as Ziva dropped on his sofa. "Lemme get you a beer."

"You have been acting strangely, Tony. Like you have been keeping a secret again." She took the offered beer and sipped it once before putting it on the coffee table. "I want to know what it is."

He sighed heavily. "Ziva, nothing's wrong. Honestly."

"I do not believe you."

"That's your perogative, but I'm telling you, it's not a big deal." He sat beside her - and then jumped up, cradling the crown of his head. "OW! What the hell?"

"I am tired of you blowing smoke in my eyes," she snapped, shaking out her hand. _His skull is thicker than I thought_. "I want the truth, DiNozzo, or so help me, I will smack you silly again."

He grimaced in pain, then squirmed on the sofa. "Really thought I'd have more time," he muttered.

"More time for what?"

Tony looked her straight in the eye, and Ziva was startled to see the intensity in his gaze. It was like he was gearing up for something, and only by looking at her could he gather the guts to do it. As she maintained eye contact, she watched as his gaze switched from intense to determined and finally focused.

"Ziva, I..." he started. Coughing a little, he cleared his throat and almost whispered, "Ani ohev otach."

_I love you_.

Ziva's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. Not just at the fact that he'd spoken her native tongue, but he'd said the three words she'd been secretly longing to hear for quite some time now. Sure, his accent was sketchy and yes, his pronounciation was barely correct, but the fact that he'd bothered to learn it at all was...incredibly sweet of him.

Tony coughed again. "So...um, d-did I say it right?" he stammered.

She smiled at him with all the love in her heart. "Yeah, you did," she said. "Well enough, anyway."

He breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank God. Thought I'd screw it up..." Meeting her eyes again, Tony smiled that charming boyish grin of his and said, "Well, Zee-Vah, you gonna leave a guy hanging after a confession like that?"

Ziva chuckled, then leaned way into his personal space. Reflex made him lean back until his body hit the couch's armrest, and then he was caught. Ziva stopped just shy of their noses touching, a wicked smile on her lips. "Now why," she whispered sultrily, "would I do that?"

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><p><strong>Awwwwwwwww! Adorable, right?<strong>

**Review please!**

**3...**


	49. Idioms

**Disclaimer: I don't own _NCIS._**

**Prompt #48: Idioms - They were few and far between these days, but when she tripped up, he was always there to correct her with a smile.**

**Words: 528**

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><p>Ziva was no longer an assassin, but she still managed to slaughter the English language from time to time.<p>

Not as much as before, though. Fresh from Mossad, there was a time she couldn't use an American phrase to save her life. Really, Tony could cut and paste a Youtube video of all the moments she managed to mangle an idiomatic expression. The best part would be that she was close to the actual phrase - just used the wrong synonym. That made it so much funnier to correct her.

But slowly, she assimilated. The mess-ups grew less frequent. She still wouldn't use contractions, but then again, Tony was happy that she didn't. It kept her unique, still somewhat foreign, despite her being a sworn-in bona fide American citizen. She still had her moments, though.

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><p>"Tony?"<p>

He looked up from his paperwork to meet his partner's eyes. "What's up, Zi?"

Ziva pursed her lips slightly, as if trying to choose her words. "I understand that you think you are the coolest thing since sliced bread, but do you have to keep strutting like a peacock every time a female suspect gives you bedroom eyes?"

Tony's eyes widened to dinner-plate proportions. "That, I'm used to. What I'm not used to is you correctly using three American idioms in a single sentance. What gives?"

"I cannot practice my application of idiomatic expressions?" she asked innocently.

"Never said you couldn't," he said. "Just surprised they were used correctly."

"Tony, I have lived here for almost nine years. I think I should have a grasp of the sayings by now."

"But you haven't switched to fully use contractions yet."

A snarky smile tugged the corners of her lips upwards. "Just because you've never been around to hear it doesn't mean I don't use them."

Now Tony was beyond floored. Was this the same woman who just last night had said "Chomp me" in response to his teasing? He blinked, opened his mouth, and gaped.

Ziva's smile grew bigger and smug as a cat's. "What's the matter, DiNozzo? Cat got your tongue?" Standing up, she strolled by his desk with an exaggerated sway in her hips.

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><p>She could feel his gaze following her as she rounded the staircase and slipped into the corner, trying to contain her laughter.<p>

Pulling out her cell phone, she dialed a number and held it up to her ear. "Hey honey, you were right. He was very surprised." She smiled. "Of course, Tali, of course. Since you won the bet, you and your big brother will get ice cream tonight. Tell Eli to have his flavor picks ready when I get home."

Chuckling at her daughter's delighted cheer, Ziva blew her a kiss and ended the call. The smug smile returned to her face as she returned to the bullpen, throwing her still-dumbfounded husband a flirty wink as she sat down.

_Easy as cake_.

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><p><strong>Just a little future fic that I thought was adorable.<strong>

**Review please!**

**2...**


	50. Snow

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the _NCIS_ cast.**

**Prompt #49: Snow - D.C. during Snowmageddon was like being locked in an igloo. But at least they weren't alone.**

**Words: 875**

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><p>"That's a lot of snow," Tony said as he looked out over the white-blasted landscape of Washington, D.C. "Hope there are chains on that little car of yours."<p>

"I thought it would not snow until later," Ziva said, joining him at the window. "I have not purchased snow chains for my car yet. It has not been a necessity."

"Zi, you're in D.C. now. Winter weather is something serious here."

"I am sure I can make it home."

Faster than either thought was possible for Tony, he plucked her car keys from her fingers. "Partners don't let partners attempt to drive home in a raging blizzard," he stated. "Especially the way you drive. You're staying over."

"That is not necessary."

"I insist, so stop arguing." When Ziva made to continue he gave her a look. "I'm attempting to be chivalrous here."

"You are coming in chauvanistic."

"Coming on, or coming off, Ziva," he corrected absently. "And it's not about being a chauvanist, it's about being concerned." Tapping her shoulder and beckoning for her to follow him, Tony led the way to the bedroom. "You can sleep here. I'll take the couch."

Ziva scowled. "But what about your back?"

"I'll be fine. Don't worry about me."

She didn't look convinced at all, but then again, Tony was still trying to figure out his tetchy partner. Ever since Somalia...well, Ziva had been amply changed from her time in the desert. Cues he's come to understand weren't there anymore. Expressions were more complex than they'd been before.

She'd left a Mossad assassin who'd managed to get under his skin and had become a welcome partner to him. He'd brought back an entirely different woman, broken around the edges and somewhat more distrustful than she'd been before. A cautious woman.

"How about we share the bed?"

A woman he was rapidly losing his touch reading. "Say what?"

"Share the bed," Ziva repeated slowly. "It would be a good idea if the power went out, yes? Sharing body heat?"

The urge to make a crack passed him by. This was the first time Ziva willingly brought up their sharing of personal space, and he was not about to ruin this milestone with reflexive sexual innuendo. "I don't see why not."

She nodded, more to herself than Tony. "Very well then."

Tony scrounged up some clothes for Ziva to sleep in, then left her alone to get some food from the Chinese place two blocks away before they closed for the storm. When he came back, Ziva had showered and changed into the drawstring pants and Ohio State T-shirt. She was huddled on his couch and watching a James Bond movie, eyes focused on the screen. Setting the takeout tray on his coffee table, Tony went into his fridge and pulled out two beers.

Offering one to her, Tony took his place on the sofa as well. "What are you watching?"

"Can you not see for yourself?"

He looked - and immediately grinned. "Figured you were a Brosnan fan."

"Is it not one of your favorites?"

Tony shrugged. "Tomorrow Never Dies is a good one, but I'm a classic Connery fan." Realization filled his eyes. "Wait, isn't this the one with the Bond girl who's a Chinese spy?"

Ziva gave a wan smile. "Colonel Wai Lin of the Chinese People's External Security Force, yes."

Careful of his words, Tony said, "I get why you relate to her. She's one of the more badass Bond girls." He gave a wide grin. "Not to mention she's got all those awesome Chinese-spy toys."

His partner nodded. "She is quite independent."

Tony glanced over at her, thought better of what he was about to say, and returned his gaze to the TV screen. As Bond and Wai Lin began their motorcycle escape through the streets of Saigon, he felt Ziva scoot closer and rest her head on his shoulder. He carefully put an arm behind her to drape over her shoulders, pulling her slightly closer in a comforting hold.

"She's one of the few who can take care of herself," Tony said, not really talking about Wai Lin anymore, "and doesn't need help fighting her own battles."

"Until the end, when he saved her from death aboard the stealth ship," Ziva finished quietly.

"She created the distraction that made that possible."

"But he ultimately saved her." She snuggled closer. "He didn't leave her. He never gave up on her."

Tony shook his head. "Nope." Pressing a kiss into her hair without breaking his gaze away from the movie, he whispered, "And I never will, Ziva."

She nodded. "I know."

Outside, the snow continued to cripple D.C. in a thick blanket of white fluff. But in that apartment, two people's hearts slowly warmed in an embrace that was a long time coming.

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><p><strong>A lovely "what if" morphed from recalling Snowmageddon. Enjoy it!<strong>

**Review please! Soooo close to 350!**

**1...**


	51. Partners

**Disclaimer: I don't own _NCIS _or any of the characters.**

**Prompt #50: Partners - For two people who used to shy away from commitment like children from brussel sprouts, they stayed together for far longer than anyone would have ever expected.**

**Words: 983**

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><p>They met under less than ideal circumstances thanks to Ari. The Mossad control officer and the murdered agent's partner.<p>

They partnered under interesting circumstances thanks to Director Sheppard. The Mossad liasion officer and the Senior Field Agent.

For just about seven years, they'd been through everything from firefights to bad relationships, from terrorist attacks to plain old homicides. Their partnership evolved over those years into something powerful, stronger than steel wire. Sometimes it was pulled to its limit, frayed to a tenuous string. But it always comes back to its former strength.

They'd been together from the very beginning. It only seemed fitting that they were together now.

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><p>Everything hurt like <em>hell<em>.

That was what first shot through Ziva's mind as her eyelids fluttered and she returned to consciousness. Every part of her body throbbed with excruciating pain, but at least she was on something warm and not the rough carpet of the elevator...

The elevator.

Harper Dearing.

The bomb.

Tony.

"Tony?" she mumbled, tasting dust and stale air. "Tony, are you all right? Tony!"

"Mugh...Ziva?" came the garbled response. The warm body beneath her shifted, and suddenly she saw that pair of eyes she loved so dearly open blearily. "Ziva, you okay?" he asked, concern an instant reaction as his hands came up to check her body for injuries.

She shivered as his touch skimmed over her torn clothes. "I - I am fine," she said as calmly as possible. "What about you?"

"Everything's still functioning," he replied. "Nothing's missing, far as I can tell. Everything hurts like a bitch, though." He looked around the wreckage-strewn elevator. "Any idea what happened?"

"The bomb must have gone off," Ziva realized. Her eyes widened. "McGee! Gibbs! Abby! And Director Vance!"

"Ziva, Ziva, come down!" Tony's hands clamped on her hips to make her stop wiggling. "Stop. I'm sure they got out okay. Calm down." His eyes shifted up and widened. "Zi, you're hurt," he said, reaching to touch her forehead.

A sudden flux of pain on her head made the Israeli agent wince. "How bad is it?" she asked. Head wounds could seem minor, but if she lost too much blood it could be deadly.

"Not bad. It's not bleeding, just a scratch on your hairline." She felt his hand move to smooth her hair away from the cut. "Can you sit up?"

She could, to her surprise. So could Tony. Checking each other, they found a good number of scrapes and superficial wounds, but nothing that was life-threatening. A minor miracle, given the fact that they were surrounded by debris in a metal box stuck in a shaft in between the ground floor and who-knew-what floor.

"Cole must've been too late to defuse the bomb," Tony mused, looking up at the ruined ceiling.

"Do you think he is dead?"

"Probably."

Ziva sighed. "Dearing."

"Dearing," agreed Tony. He balled up his fist and slammed it into a nearby beam. "Dammit, that bastard!"

Ignoring his outburst, his partner reached over and checked his hand. "The last thing we need after surviving a bomb explosion in an elevator is for you to break your hand doing something stupid," she stated. "We could be here for a while. We may as well get comfortable."

"Wonderful. Lemme pour some wine and put on some jazz," Tony retorted dryly. "You gonna slip into something more comfortable?"

She shot him a dry look. "Gibbs will get us out of here."

"That I don't doubt." Tony frowned as Ziva started scooting carefully towards a clear corner of the elevator. "Where you going, Zee-Vah?"

"Care to join me?" she asked, flashing a quick smile. "I think it will be more comfortable resting against a wall than lying on a cluttered floor."

After a moment's thought, Tony's smile bloomed. "You're one smart woman, Special Agent David," he said, following her lead. He made a quick "ah-ah" sound as she made to lean against the wall. "Here's where I pull the gentleman card." Resting his broad back against the corner, he opened his arms to her. "Come - "

"If you say "come to Daddy" I will punch you in the gut, DiNozzo," Ziva warned.

"I was going to say, "Come into my arms, it's a tight squeeze" Ziva. Do you really think so little of me?" he asked, pouting cutely.

She pointedly crossed her arms. "What makes you think I will accept your invitation?"

The look he gave her was a classic DiNozzo "You're joking, right?" look. "Where else are you gonna go? Remember, moving into the corner was your idea in the first place."

They both knew she would join him. Partners for years, they knew each other's thought processes almost as well as their own. So, cutting to the chase, Ziva crawled over and laid her head on his chest. His heartbeat sped up under her ear, matching hers for speed. "Am I making you nervous?" she teased softly.

"Don't start that, Zi," he warned, his lips moving against her hair. "There's not enough room in this box, and frankly I don't trust the support system enough to risk testing it."

"Spoilsport," she said reflexively.

"Wait until we get out of here, okay?"

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><p>They'd been through everything else together.<p>

So, huddled in the corner and nestled in each other's embrace, Tony and Ziva waited for the rescue party to come.

Together.

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><p><strong>And FIN! Thank you all soo much for sticking with this for the last year! It was lots of fun!<strong>

**Please read my other installments and stories as well!**


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